Caring Foodie: 12 Days of Christmas {Goodies}: Cinnamon Sugar Apple Pie (Soy, Nut and Fish-Free, Can Be Egg, Milk and Wheat-Free and Diabetic Friendly)

NOTICE

At the time of publication, all recipes were free of the allergens listed as being free of in the title (i.e. soy-free, milk-free, etc.), and all other information shared was accurate to the best of my knowledge.
Though I strive to update outdated information quickly and work diligently to make sure you have the most accurate information possible at all times, it is your duty to double check labels EVERY TIME to ensure that the ingredients you use are SAFE FOR YOU. DO NOT RELY SOLELY ON THIS INFORMATION AS INGREDIENTS AND INFORMATION DO CHANGE. Your doctor or allergist should also be your first go-to for information on how to handle your medical needs. That being said, if you DO notice an error, please send me an email letting me know (tell me what page or recipe the error is on, what the error is, etc.), and I will correct the error ASAP. Thank you so much!
Please Be Advised:I make sure all of my recipes use foods that are free of the allergens they say they are free of. You will need to do the same. For help with this, please see the appropriate "Alternative Names" page for the allergen(s) you need the recipe free of.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

12 Days of Christmas {Goodies}: Cinnamon Sugar Apple Pie (Soy, Nut and Fish-Free, Can Be Egg, Milk and Wheat-Free and Diabetic Friendly)

Welcome to the sixth day of

The 12 Days of Christmas {Goodies} link-up,

brought to you by Natural and Free and Glued to My Crafts!

At the end of this post (and every post for the full extent of this link-up) you will get the chance to share your Christmas creations with us (details to follow). And you'll want to share because we have some amazing giveaways (among other things) planned! And we all know, there's nothing better than a holiday giveaway! :)

We have reached 50 posts in our link-up! YAY! Thank you so much for all the participation! You all have submitted some truly delicious recipes and amazing crafty designs! It is going to be hard to choose our Top 5 Favorites to feature!

If I haven't stopped by to check out your submission, I'll be there ASAP! :) I can't wait to see what you've shared!

Oh, and a very special thank you to LinkyHere.com for featuring this link-up today in your blog! You all are just tremendous! :)

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And now *clears throat and begins singing boisterously to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas*:

On the sixth day of The Christmas {Goodies} link-up, Natural and Free gave to me:

6. Cinnamon Sugar Apple Pie!

5. Granny's Favorite Gingerbread!

4. Chocolate-Covered Pretzels!

3. Yummy Peppermint Fudge!

2. Cute and festive Pine Cones!

and

1. A recipe for Candied Pecans!

Do you have a type of pie or dessert that you make especially for or during the holidays? There is a pie that we make for Thanksgiving and Christmas or just about any get-together, and it's Apple Pie. Normally, the pies we get tend to be store bought because there's either no time to bake or I'm not the one in charge of the pies. :) Well, this year, I decided that I would make the Apple Pie (at least for Thanksgiving, we'll see if I get to make one for Christmas if we decide to go with pie this year - sometimes we switch it up), and (using my Blueberry Apple Pie as a template) this is what I came up with: Cinnamon Sugar Apple Pie.

It is heavenly, let me just tell you, and I think that if you're a fan of Apple Pie, you will LOVE this. The crust is covered in cinnamon sugar, the apples are not too mushy and the filling is a little bit caramelly flavored...just beyond yum! It's soy-free (if you use all soy-free ingredients), nut and fish-free and can be egg, wheat and milk-free and even diabetic friendly (see variations)! Win-win for all!

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Pie

4 to 5 Cups apples, peeled, cored and diced to bite-sized (about 4 to 5 medium-sized apples)

(I used a combo of MacIntosh and Ida Red,

but you could use Granny Smith or your favorite cooking apple)

1/4 to 1/3 Cup white sugar

1/4 to 1/3 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons lemon juice

pinch of salt

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 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 400^oF.

2. In a large bowl, combine apples, white and brown sugars (amount based on preference, but I recommend using equal amounts of each), 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. In another small bowl, mix together the 2 Tablespoons white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. (You can use turbinado sugar if you wish, but it is not necessary.) 10. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. (I don't recommend using a lesser amount of cinnamon sugar, but you most certainly can if you wish.)

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

12. Let the pie rest at least an hour before serving to let the filling set.

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! :)