Fresh apple pie recipe with dried apricots in whole wheat pie crust

This pie recipe enhances the flavor of fresh apple pie by adding dried apricots in a whole wheat crust for a complex, satisfying flavor that reminds you of grandmothers and comfort food. It’s a great pie recipe to make and serve for holidays--it was a hit at our last Thanksfiving dinner--as well as anytime throughout winter when you need a fruit fix. You can substitute dried fruits other than apricots, such as dried cranberries or dried cherries, which give a brighter flavor. If you already have a favorite apple pie recipe, simply add 1 cup of dried fruit for every 4 to 5 cups of apples. This type of hearty fruit pie favors pastry crust made with half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour.

Apple pie with dried apricots

4-5 cups peeled tart apples cut in ½- to 1-inch pieces (4-5 medium or about 1½ pounds apples)

1 cup dried apricots, cut in small pieces

3/4 cup brown sugar, tightly packed

3 tablespoons instant (“minute”) tapioca or all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Two 9-inch pie crusts (see recipe below)

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. In large bowl, toss together the apple and apricot pieces until evenly mixes. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, tapioca, and cinnamon until well combined. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples and apricots and toss again until evenly coated.
3. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one pie crust. Spoon filling into the crust and dot with butter. Cut butter into small pieces and dot over filling.
4. Roll out second crust. Cut three slashes in the top. Place over fruit filling. Crimp the edge and trim excess crust. Brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle evenly with the sugar.
5. Place pie in preheated 450°F oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes, or until the juice begins to bubble through the top crust. If the edge of the crust browns too fast, cover with a strip of aluminum foil.
6. Remove pie from oven and cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Food processor whole wheat pie crust

Makes enough dough for two 9-inch crusts

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons lard, cut into small bits and frozen

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small bits and frozen

1/2 teaspoon salt

Big pinch of sugar

4-6 tablespoons ice water

1. Measure the flour into the processor. Add the lard, butter, salt, and sugar. Pulse 10 times very quickly to mix the ingredients. With the motor running, pour 4 tablespoons ice water into the work bowl in a slow stream. Process just until the dough just starts to get noticeably crumbly.
2. Stop the machine and test the dough. If you can gather the dough into a ball with your hand, you are done. If it remains crumbly and will not come together, add another 1 tablespoon water and test again. Repeat until you can squeeze the dough and make it stick together. Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.
3. Dump the dough onto a clean counter and gather into a ball without squeezing it too much. Using the heal of your hand, smear about 1/4 of the dough bal about six inches across the counter . Continuing smearing the ball of dough, 1/4 at a time, until you have moved it across the counter into another ball. This smearing process is called fraisage in French cooking and helps to distribute the fats through the flour to make a flaky pastry. Gather up the dough into a ball and flatten slightly. Wrap your ball in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill it 30 minutes or up to 3 days in the refrigerator, or freeze up to one month.
4. When rolling out pie dough, use only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling surface. Use adequate downward pressure while rolling to avoid stretching the dough.