Apple Pie
For the health conscious, here's an apple pie that's truly healthy and almost guilt-free. Except for the butter, which is still lesser than what a normal pie contains, the rest of the ingredients are healthy. Maida or refined flour replaced with wholewheat flour, sugar replaced with jaggery. What more can one ask for? So go right ahead and enjoy, keeping the portion size in mind of course. That's my first rule even for a healthy snack. What's more! Diabetics too can enjoy this in moderation. Besides the healthy ingredients, it also has cinnamon (I have used double the normal amount) and ginger powder as well, to keep your sugars in check. So go on, enjoy it in moderation. And yes, it's as delicious and flaky as its unhealthy version. But have it fresh and warm, preferably straight out of the oven.
Ingredients
Crust
Pie pan - 7"
Whole Wheat
Flour – 3.5 cups
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery - 2
tbsp
Butter (chilled)
– ½ to ¾ cup
Water (ice cold) - 6-8 tbsp
Filling
Apples (peeled, cored and sliced) – 4
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
Jaggery - 5
tbsp
Wholewheat flour
– 2 tbsp
Cinnamon powder
(Dalchini) – 1 tbsp
Ginger
powder (optional) – ½ tsp
Salt - ½ tsp
Top Crust
Top Crust
Milk – 2 tbsp
Honey – 1 tbsp
Jaggery (for
sprinkling) – 1 tbsp
Method
Preheat the
oven to 160 C
Grease a pie
pan and line the bottom with parchment paper
Filling
Mix all the
dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the apple slices, lemon juice and mix till the
apples are well coated
Crust
Combine the
flour, salt, and jaggery in a bowl. Add the butter cubes and rub into the flour
with your fingers till the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Sprinkle ice
water on it to make crumbly dough. Mix so that it just forms a ball that holds
together.
Refrigerate it
for a couple of hours.
Topping For the Crust
Combine the
milk and honey in a bowl and keep aside. It will be used to brush over the pie
crust to give it a nice golden brown colour when baked.
Making the pie
Place the chilled
pie crust between two sheets of wax paper or plastic sheets. Using the heel of
your palms, press down the dough to make it flat and pulling it outward to
stretch the dough. Roll out the dough to a large round of quarter inch thickness. Check
that it is bigger than the pie pan
Once rolled,
gently remove it and transfer to your prepared pie pan. Gently press it in so
that the dough fills out the inner edges and corners. Some part will
still hang over the sides of the pan. Pour the apple
mix into it and spread it around evenly.
Roll out the
second pie dough in a similar way. Place it
over the second rolled dough over the filling. Trim the excess dough and fold
the overhanging bits over the edges sealing them together.
Brush the top
with the milk and honey mixture. Make small
slits all over on the top to let the steam escape. Place the pie crust in the
preheated oven until the crust is golden brown for about 40 to 45 minutes.
Sprinkle jaggery powder over it. Cut into
wedges and serve warm with tea, coffee or milk.
For dessert
serve it with a scoop of vanilla icecream.
