Blueberry Apple Pie (Soy, Nut and Fish-Free, Can Be Egg, Milk and Wheat-Free and Diabetic Friendly)

This is a recipe that I adapted from a recipe by Sunny Anderson on FoodNetwork.com.  It won me first prize in a pie contest, too, so I figure it's a pretty good recipe. :)  It's a delightfully tart pie, but not so tart that you can't eat it alone, though no one would fault you some ice cream or whipped cream on top. :)  It's best served cold, but it's good warm, too.

This recipe is soy-free (if you use all soy-free ingredients), nut and fish-free, and can milk, egg and wheat-free and diabetic friendly (see variations).  I hope you enjoy it!

Blueberry Apple Pie

16 oz. fresh blueberries

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice or bite-sized pieces

(You want them to be about the size of the blueberries, but a little bigger is ok.)

1/2 Cup white sugar

1/4 Cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Pinch of salt (no more than 1/8 teaspoon)

2 Tablespoons full-fat, salted butter, cut into small pieces

Easy Pie Crust, prepared

(NOT baked, but ready to roll out. 

You'll need the full recipe, because this pie requires a double crust.)

1 egg

1 teaspoon water

2 Tablespoons white sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 ^oF.

2.  In a large bowl, combine blueberries, apples, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice and salt; mix just until the ingredients are well incorporated and set aside.

3.  Roll out 1/2 the dough until it is large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan.

4.  Put the crust in the pan and press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides of the pan.  If you have excess dough you can either trim off the excess dough and discard it or just simply tuck any excess down behind the edges inside the pan before pressing the dough into the pan.

5.  Fill the crust with the fruit filling and scatter the butter evenly around the top of the pie.

6.  Roll out the second 1/2 of the dough like you did the first, only this time place the crust on top of  the fruit filling, folding any excess under or trimming it off.

7.  Seal the edges of the 2 crusts together by pinching it with your fingers before cutting slits into the top of the pie. (I recommend at least 4 slits and a hole in the center, but any design you wish to do is fine.  You can even do a lattice top if you so desire, as long as there is ventilation for the pie.)

8.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the water.

9.  Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and then sprinkle with the full 2 Tablespoons of sugar. (You can use turbinado sugar if you wish, but it is not necessary.  I don't recommend using a lesser amount of sugar because the filling is tart, but you most certainly can if you wish.)

10.  Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 35 minutes.

11.  Let the pie rest at least an  hour before serving to let the filling set.  (As I said before, the pie is best cold, but it's good warm, too. :) )

Variations:

• Egg-Free: Instead of the egg wash, you can use milk or just water.
• Milk-Free: Use a dairy-free butter such as Earth Balance when making the crust (you'll need to use a dairy-free milk here like SoDelicious, too, or water) and when dotting the top of the pie. Just remember that using a sub for the butter may revoke some of the allergen-free status of this recipe (i.e. soy or nut-free).
• Wheat-Free: Substitute the Easy Pie Crust for your favorite wheat-free crust.  Just remember that using a sub for the crust may revoke some of the allergen-free status of this recipe (i.e. soy or nut-free).
• Diabetic Friendly: Substitute Splenda or another granulated sugar substitute approved for baking for the sugar.  Just watch labels to make sure that your substitute doesn't revoke the soy-free status (or other allergen-free status) of this recipe.

You can enjoy this pie as is or with a dollap of Sweetened Whipped Cream or ice cream (I recommend Haagen-Dazs Five Vanilla).  Just note that any topping you add has to be allergen-friendly or you will no longer have an allergen-friendly dessert! :)



(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)