RICH HARVEST PIE

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, it’s time to think about pie. This unusual offering, a dark, chunky melange of whole cranberries, walnuts and apples in two layers, features a press-into-the-pan gingersnap crust, perfect for those of you with piecrust-phobia

CRUST
2 cups gingersnap crumbs (about 43 gingersnaps, about 10 3/4 ounces)
1/4 cup (2 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter, melted

Combine the crumbs, sugar, and butter, and press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 x 1 1/2-inch pie pan, reserving 1/4 cup of the crumb mixture for the top of the pie.

CRANBERRY NUT FILLING
3/4 cup (2 3/4 ounces) toasted walnut pieces*
2 cups (8 ounces) fresh cranberries
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) dried cranberries
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) melted butter
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

*Bake walnuts in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or till they smell toasty. Combine them with the remaining filling ingredients, and set aside.

APPLE FILLING
3 cups peeled, cored, sliced apples (about 2 large apples, about 11 1/4 ounces)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) melted butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 (1 3/4 ounces) to 1/3 cup (2 3/8 ounces) sugar, depending on the tartness of the apples
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all of the apple filling ingredients, and spoon it into the prepared crust. Spoon the cranberry filling on top. Bake the pie in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes, then sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top. Put a crust protector around the edge of the pie if the outer crust seems to be browning too quickly, and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly. Remove the pie from the oven, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or unadorned. Yield: 1 pie, 8 servings.

www.BakingCircle.com
November 11, 2003

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