This and That: Rustic Apple Tart

Anne and I (and our families) love apple pie! It was funny, because we actually talked about our apple pie recipes, (we each had a special recipe that we made a lot and loved) and one day I made the pie for a get-together and we realized that we had the same recipe. :) This was way before we started to use real food, and I knew that we needed to adapt our favorite recipe to suit our new way of life. Here is my outcome. :)

I started with the pie crust from Cheeseslave. I used sprouted flour, it was good (actually great!) just not quite right for a sweet pie. I would recommend using this recipe with unbleached white flour as Ann Marie did, or else using the sprouted flour for a savory dish, like a pot pie or quiche.

Next, the apples. Peel, cut and core enough apples to fill your desired dish. I used a tart pan, although I usually use a pie plate. I think I used 5 apples. Now, the kind of apple you use is just a preference thing. I definitely prefer tart apples for pies, like granny smiths. Anne would argue that sweet apples (like galas or fujis) are the way to go. It is up to you.

The first thing you want to do is mix your crust according to the directions. Roll out on a floured surface and form to your plate. I par-baked mine for about 5 minutes at 425.

Notice the chunks of butter and lard, these are essential for a flaky crust. I had never done it this way before, but decided that is was worth the effort!

The next step is to fill your pie with the apples, and form the lattice top of your pie. This dough made with sprouted flour was a little more difficult to work with, but doable.

Now for the sweet stuff. You will need 1/2 cup of butter, 3 TBS flour, 1/4 cup water, 1 cup of sucanat and 1 TBS honey. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water and sucanat and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.