Frozen apple juice concentrate sweetens the spicy apple filling in this wonderful pie. For the pastry, we used some canola oil to produce a tender crust with a minimum of saturated fat. We lowered the fat and calories by:
* omitting the egg
* substituting butter-flavored sprinkles in the filling for the butter
* substituting oil for the shortening
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PASTRY
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter or stick margarine (not reduced-calorie)
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 5-7 tablespoons skim milk
FILLING
- 2/3 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 5 cups peeled and sliced tart apples
- 1 tablespoon butter-flavored sprinkles
TO MAKE THE PASTRY: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter or margarine. In a cup, stir together the oil and 5 tablespoons of the milk. Drizzle the oil mixture over the flour. Using a fork, toss and stir lightly until the flour is moistened. If necessary, add enough of the remaining 2 tablespoons milk to moisten. Then, using your hands, gently shape the mixture into a ball. Divide into 2 balls. Place 1 ball of dough between two 12-inch square pieces of wax paper. Gently roll into a 12-inch circle. Remove the top piece of wax paper. Then invert the dough onto a 9-inch pie plate. Remove the remaining piece of wax paper and gently fit the dough into the pan. Place the remaining ball of dough between two 12-inch square pieces of wax paper. Gently roll into a 12-inch circle. Set aside.
TO MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the apple juice concentrate, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken and just comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside. Invert the remaining dough circle over the apple filling. Fold the edges of the pastry under and flute. Use a sharp knife to cut 2 to 3 slits in the top crust. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Makes 8 servings.
TEST KITCHEN TIP: For pie a la mode, top each wedge of pie with a small scoop of fat-free vanilla ice cream.
