When I first started this blog, the intent was to write about nothing but cupcakes. Frosting and cake, all day every day. Some people have that amazing, laser focus. Me... not so much. By the second post, I was talking about Vietnamese Coconut Waffles.
My affinity for cake has slowly dwindled over the years as my palette has evolved. I've strayed away from the sugary confections and lean towards more natural sweeties like fruit and super dark chocolate. Pie in particular has become a new love interest. Oh hello pie...
Peach and Crème Fraîche Pie was the first attempt, a safe bet with no fancy top crust. It came out well so I figured I had the pie game down pat... until I tried making Strawberry and Rhubarb pie. Good grief... I didn't even know what "tapioca" pearls were and substituted with boba pearls... you know- the stuff you put into bubble tea. Definitely did not do the trick... soggy bottom pie indeed. It's about learning as you go.
Needless to say... the new recipe book by What Katie Ate immediately caught my eye. Every time I check her site my mouth salivates oceanic amounts. Her Apple, Blueberry, and Ginger pie was already on my pinterest list of "things to make" but seeing it on the cover of her new book renewed the curiosity. It seemed like such an interesting combination of flavor. So let's break it down!
What makes the crust unique is the incorporation of crumbled ginger snap cookies. It makes a slightly hearty crust. See above? I put too much in that one corner for serious thickness. It can be difficult to work with and Katie notes that you may have to force it to cooperate. By force, I mean plastering it together within the pan into one cohesive crust; it tends to crumble when being rolled out. Mine was doing well until it got to edges, then I had do resort to the plaster method.
This recipe only makes the BOTTOM crust; the top is store-bought. If you feel like going the extra mile and making 2 different crusts, go for it. I was tired and went with the cheaters method. Is it as good as the home made stuff? Meh, it's not as flakey or buttery but it's easy to work with and gets the job done!
I made the filling the night before to let all the juices get to know each other. It needs a total of 25 minutes on the stove top, then the additional cool down period. If you don't have time to do it the night before, at least prep the 5 apples that go into this bad boy. Blueberries and apples are a new concept in my world but they paired rather nicely. Bear in mind, this is NOT a super sugary sweet tasting pie; it's very mature and sophisticated.
Another super yummy aspect of this pie is the left over juices! After you cook the apples, blueberries, and ginger together, you drain out the excess juice and set aside. When ready, you heat it up in small sauce pan with a little lemon juice. Let it sit there until it reduces down to about half the amount.When ready to serve, drizzle some on each slice. Oh my...
In my humble opinion: this pie is best served cold or at room temperature, with a tiny scoop of vanilla icecream topped with the berry juice.
