how2heroes » Maple-Pecan Apple Pie

Dessert & Baked Goods » Maple-Pecan Apple Pie

Home cook Denise LaRoche takes a classic apple pie and turns up the volume with this award-winning dessert from the Smolak Farms Pie Recipe Contest. A simple pie dough is filled with layers of thinly-sliced apples and a vanilla bean sugar mixture. Denise reduces pure maple syrup and drizzles it atop a pecan crumble topping, allowing the intense maple flavor to penetrate through to the soft, baked apples. Follow Denise's decorative serving suggestions and sweeten whipped cream with a touch of maple syrup, then decorate with candied pecans.

Print Recipe

Serves 8-12

Ingredients

For Crust

1½ cups all-purpose flour + additional for dusting
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tbsp sugar (natural cane suggested)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed & chilled
3 tbsp vegetable shortening, cubed & chilled
6 tbsp ice water

For Sugar Filling

1 cup sugar (natural cane suggested)
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 vanilla bean pod, split & scraped
8 apples, thinly sliced (Denise suggests assorted varieties)

For Crumb Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (natural cane suggested)
¼ tsp kosher salt
½ cup chopped pecans
1 stick butter at room temperature, diced

For Maple Reduction

½ cup maple syrup

For Maple Whipped Cream

½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp sugar (natural cane suggested)
1 tbsp maple syrup

To Finish

candied pecans (optional)

Equipment

10" pie plate
rolling pin
candy thermometer
pastry cutter (optional)

How-to

Make Crust

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix
Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 5-6 times, until the butter is in pea-sized pieces
Pour the ice water slowly down the feed tube of the food processor and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Assemble Sugar Filling

In a small bowl mix together the sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon
Split vanilla bean pod down the center, scrape out seeds and combine with sugar mixture. Set aside

Make Crumble Topping

Combine all dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl
Using a pastry cutter (or two knives), "cut" the cubed butter into the flour mixture until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Set aside

Roll Dough, Assemble Pie & Bake

Preheat oven to 375º
Dust work surface lightly with flour. Roll out dough, starting from the center and out towards the edges, flipping and turning the round often to assure that it doesn't stick to the board. Roll to ¼" thickness, large enough to fit over a 10" pie plate
Fold the crust over the rolling pin to lift and place over pie plate
Tuck excess dough around the edges underneath itself, then crimp all the way around the rim of the pie plate, using 2 fingers and a thumb
Sprinkle 2 tbsp of the sugar mixture on the bottom of the crust. Place one layer of apples. Repeat this process until all apples and sugar mixture are gone
Press crumb topping atop apples. Place on sheet tray (to avoid crumbs falling in the oven and burning), and bake 30 minutes. Rotate pie to assure even baking, and bake an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely

Make Maple Reduction

Place maple syrup in a small sauce pan and attach a candy thermometer to the side
Bring to boil over medium heat and cook until the temperature reaches 234º (soft ball stage)
Remove from heat and drizzle over the crumb topping while the syrup is warm

Make Whipped Cream & Serving Suggestions

Whip cream in medium bowl to soft peaks. Add maple syrup and sugar, continue to beat to firm peaks. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip
Pipe whipped cream as desired, right before serving. Garnish with candied pecans (optional)