No Cane Sugar Apple and Cranberry Pie

I created this recipe for Thanksgiving 2024. Bruce loved the tart and sweet of this pie. The cranberries add a bit of surprise tartness and a dash of a beautiful red color to this pie.

Servings: 6 to 8

Makes a 9 inch pie

Ingredients

• Your favorite double pie crust recipe – if you don’t have one, try the one on the King Arthur Baking website for their Classic Double Pie Crust
• 3 1/2 cups sliced Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
• 3 cups of sliced McIntosh apples, peeled and cored
• 1 cup of whole cranberries, I used fresh cranberries, frozen whole cranberries should work
• 1/2 cup boiled apple cider – you can purchase this at the King Arthur Baking Website. (I love the boiled apple cider. It is delicious!)
• 1/4 cup dark maple syrup
• 1/8 cup vanilla flavored honey or plain clover honey with 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger, if using fresh grated ginger, then one tablespoon
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• Zest of one lemon (1 tablespoon)
• Juice of one lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons)

Tools:

Pie pan, large bowl, large spoon, grater, juicer (optional), knife, half sheet, parchment paper, aluminum foil – cut to fit around the edge of the pie pan and the edge of the crust

Instructions

1. Make your pie crusts and put the rounds in the fridge. Start the apple processing at the end of the resting time of the pie crust. If using a purchased pie crust, read the instructions about taking it out of the refrigerator/freezer and follow them.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line the half sheet with parchment paper and set aside until time to bake the pie.
3. Peel, core and slice your apples. If you have a spiralizer, that makes a single spiral, use it for perfectly even slices. Just cut the single spiral in two and you will have even slices. See pictures below.
4. Put apples and cranberries in the large bowl and stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
5. Add the boiled cider, maple syrup, honey, salt, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and stir until the apples are coated.
6. You will notice a lot of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Add the 1/2 cup of flour and stir until the flour has been absorbed. The juice at the bottom of the bowl will be a consistency similar to a thin gravy.
7. Let the apples sit while you roll out your pie dough.
8. Line a 9 inch pie pan with the bottom pie crust. Add the apples and cranberries to the pie pan. Pour the juice at the bottom of the bowl over the apples and cranberries.
9. Cover with the top crust, seal and crimp the crust together. Cut slits into the top pie crust to allow steam to escape.
10. Put the pie on the parchment lined half sheet and place on the bottom rack in the oven.
11. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes total. The pie should be golden brown when ready. Check the pie at 30 minutes to see if the edge is browning too fast. (Is it already brown?) If it is browning too fast, remove the pie from the oven and carefully place the cut aluminum foil around the pie edges. Be very careful not to burn yourself. Place the pie back into the oven on the parchment lined half sheet and bake 30 to 40 minutes more, until the rest of the crust is golden brown.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool completely to room temperature. (2 to 3 hours) This will allow the filling to set up and not run out when the pie is cut.

Notes:

While I was worried about a soggy bottom crust due to the amount of liquid, this pie baked beautifully and didn’t develop a soggy bottom.

If you are going to leave out the cranberries, add another 1/2 cup of apple slices.