Desserts/ Recipe

Rosemary Apple Pie

 
apples
 
Hi friends! It’s Stacy here, from Seattle Seedling. As I write this, my urban farm is covered with a blanket of snow – the first snow of the season. The weight of the fluffy powder on the plastic cloche that protects my winter greens is starting to bow. Yes, this is truly the most perfect time for a winter post.
 
pie
 
While it snows outside, I’m sitting at my desk near the window, all cozy-like, thinking about pie. If you asked me what I was going to do today, I’d tell you I was going to bake a pie. That’s my agenda. You may remember me talking pie in the fall. I’ve come a long way since then. Since my skills trade, I have made some of the most delicious homemade crusts I have ever made. And I’m not messing around. I don’t wait until late afternoon to start making a pie, if that’s what I’m planning on serving for dessert. No, I clear my schedule and make a day out of it. I get the big mixing bowl on the counter and go all Like Water for Chocolate on it – putting my love and good vibes into every handful of crumbly dough. I ditch the measuring spoons and instead pour the water on, going by feel, trusting myself to do the job. I turn the light on in the oven and feel a little nervous to look in, fearing I’ll see a sagging crust. I peer into the oven wondering if the crust I made by feel, really felt the way it was supposed to. And to my delight, it does.
 
bowl with brandy
 
Truth be told, the last crust I made was beautiful, but a little flat in flavor, making me think I need to up my pinches of salt in the future. But let’s be real, even when your pie crust turns out a little this or a little too that, it’s usually almost always edible and more times than not, delicious. Of course that’s not the ultimate goal, especially as a food blogger, to make something that is merely “edible.” But I think it’s worth keeping in mind when deciding to put so much time and effort into a project like pie. Chances are, in the end, you’ll be the over-critical one like me, while everyone else cleans their plates. Trust me when I say that this apple pie is worth taking on the project.
 
rosemary
 
This is a winter apple pie. It goes well with tweed. It’s a man’s apple pie. I don’t know if I think that because the addition of rosemary brings a little earthy edge to the filling, because I tossed the cut apples in Brandy, or simply because I adapted the filling recipe from a cookbook written by two farmer dudes. Something about it just felt masculine. Had I rolled out the crust in nothing but lingerie it could have easily been something right out of Maxim. Putting a little pie bird in the middle though will soften that masculine edge right up, making this pie the perfect winter indulgence for you both.
 
Put a bird in it
 
 
 

Rosemary Apple Pie

I went to the farmers' market and asked an apple vendor for a good combination of apples for a pie, but I think any combination of sweet and tart apples will do. You could even get crazy and add a pear or two. Oh, and cheddar in the crust? Yes, please!

Ingredients

  • My Favorite Pie Crust (for a top and bottom crust), prepared and ready to be filled (9in pie)
  • About 8 apples, a mixture of sweet and tart
  • About 1/4 cup brandy, bourbon, applejack, or dark rum
  • About 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • About 2 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces for dotting

Instructions

  1. Put the brandy (or whatever other alcohol you choose) in a large bowl. Peel, core, and cut the apples into thin wedges and put them in the bowl with the brandy. As you add more apples, toss them around the bowl to coat.
  2. In another small bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, rosemary, and tapioca flour.
  3. Once all of your apples have been prepared, sprinkle the sugar/flour mixture over the apples and toss to coat.
  4. Pile the apples into the bottom crust, slightly higher in the center. (Unless of course you have an adorable pie bird that will help vent steam, which will then take center stage in the middle of your pie.) Dot the apples with the small pieces of butter.
  5. Place your top crust over the apples, crimp the edges together, and add vents in the crust. Brush the top with butter and sprinkle with raw sugar.
  6. Place in an oven preheated to 450 and bake for 10 minutes. Then, turn down the heat to 350 and continue to make until the crust is golden and the juices begin bubbling through the vents you created in your top crust, about 45 minutes.
  7. Let your pie cool on a wire rack and resist the temptation to cut into it for a few hours. It will be hard, but I know you can do it. Enjoy!
  8. Until next time, friends, when I can finally say it's spring!

Notes

  • Cheap Ethnic Eatz
    February 8, 2012 at 5:48 PM

    Love the pie bird. I always enjoy sweet recipes with herbs like this one.

  • radhi
    February 8, 2012 at 6:42 PM

    i would never think to add rosemary to an apple pie!? thanks for giving us a wintery apple pie recipe!

  • Holli
    February 8, 2012 at 6:54 PM

    Okay, now I want a pie. I’m literally salivating.
    Alas, not enough apples or fresh Rosemary on hand!

  • Heather McMullin
    February 8, 2012 at 8:09 PM

    Love that you put a bird in it!! AND that is some beautiful rosemary!!
    -Heather
    @ http://www.made-famous-by.com

  • Kristy Lynn
    February 9, 2012 at 4:02 AM

    @ Cheap Ethnic Eatz: of course Stacy put a bird in it. she would 🙂

    @ radhi: thanks for stopping by!

    @ Holli: Ah! i’ll send you some!

    @ Heather McMullin: thanks for taking the time to say hello 🙂

  • Miz Helen
    February 10, 2012 at 8:28 PM

    That is a beautiful pie and I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love the combination of the Apple and Rosemary, great flavor. Hope you have a fabulous week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

  • Kristy Lynn
    February 11, 2012 at 5:45 PM

    @ Miz Helen: Thank you so much for stopping by!

  • Anonymous
    February 12, 2012 at 12:51 AM

    nice idea. thanks for sharing...

  • April @ The 21st Century Housewife
    February 13, 2012 at 5:28 PM

    Stacy, your pie looks wonderful! I love the addition of the brandy, and the rosemary – oh and your pie bird really brought back memories of my Mom. She had one just like that! I really enjoyed your guest post.

    Kristy, thank you for sharing this post with the Hearth and Soul hop.

  • Rebecca Watkins
    February 14, 2012 at 2:06 PM

    Going to have to try this too!

  • Kristy Lynn
    February 14, 2012 at 10:33 PM

    @ Anonymous: Thanks for stopping by!

    @ April: thanks for coming by love!

    @ Rebecca: haha – good to hear!

  • Jo
    February 16, 2012 at 8:53 PM

    The rosemary sounds so good, never would have thought to try it in apple pie before.

  • Kristy Lynn
    February 17, 2012 at 4:29 PM

    @ Jo: me neither. Stacy’s smart like that.