apples everywhere

The colors of fall did not disappoint as we made our way up to Lake Placid last week. The air was not just crisp with autumn - it was frickin freezing. The day of the wedding brought highs in the 40's, and an on and off drizzle that I blame for bringing my cold back on full force. And I was wearing a coat! But it was a beautiful trip and a fun time, and we even got to see some snow on Sunday morning.

Of course, on the way back, we had to get some apples - Honeycrisps for eating raw, Cortlands for baking in pies. The main focus was really the apple cider donuts, which were truly fantastic and eaten pretty continuously for the rest of the ride home.



So last night was the first of what I hope to be many apple pies this season. This one was an Autumn Harvest Pie, from a recipe I found on the Martha Stewart website. The combination of apples, pears, and cranberries was surprisingly mellow, with just the right balance of sweet and tart. I know that I have previously pledged my devotion to the Sour Cream Apple Pie, but I will have to say that this comes in a close second as a favorite.



I have yet to eat this pie cold, though, so we'll see how it fares in that department tonight.



Recipe after the jump:

AUTUMN HARVEST PIE
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients
4 baking apples, such as, Rome, Granny Smith, or Cortland, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
pinch ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Juice and zest of 1 small lemon
2 cups (8 ounces) fresh cranberries
Pie dough for a 2-crust 9-inch pie
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Sugar for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper; set aside. Combine apples and pears in a large mixing bowl. Add, flour, sugar, nutmeg, lemon juice and zest, and mix well. Add cranberries and toss gently. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to a rough 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch think. Line a 9-inch pie dish with the dough. Transfer apple and pear mixture into pastry-lined pan. Dot the top with butter. Place the top crust, and cut vent slits. Brush pastry with cream. Sprinkle sugar lightly and evenly over the top of pie. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degress. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to bake until juices are bubbling, about 1 1/4 hours more.