Tell All Tuesday: Throw Down (Some Apple Pie)

I'm still participating in the 30 Day Throwdown that my friend Robynn is hosting, and so far it's working well. I haven't noticed a significant weight loss, or change in appearance, but I DO have a lot more energy. Well, for me.....which basically means that even after a night when I only got one hour of sleep I was still able to pee without falling asleep on the toilet. [Ta-da!]

I love being vegetarian again. I'm having fun revisiting all of my old foods and recipes (Ni Hao, vegetable dumplings!), and I enjoy feeling healthier even if it doesn't have super dramatic outward effects.

Still, I have to tell you, I LOVE dessert. Love it love it love it. I want to be as loyal as possible to my ideal of nixing all junk and eating super healthy, but I can't go without a sweet every now and again.

Time to look into some sweet but healthy options. Fruit, sure. Jello, sure. But what about warm bakery items? I found this recipe from Eating Well (photo taken from that same site) for Apple Pie-which has all the yummy stuff with only half the fat and I tried it out. Verdict? Delicious. So delicious that I could not get a picture of it before it was swarmed upon and devoured by the ravenous hordes.

Just try to keep this away from your family until you get a slice!

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling

• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled McIntosh apples, (about 2 pounds)
• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples, (about 2 pounds)
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground allspice
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten, for brushing

Preparation

1. To prepare crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and, with your fingers, quickly rub them into the dry ingredients until the pieces are smaller but still visible. Add sour cream and oil; toss with a fork to combine with the dry ingredients. Sprinkle water over the mixture. Toss with a fork until evenly moist. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl a few times"the mixture will still be a little crumbly. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead a few more times, until the dough just holds together. Divide the dough in half and shape into 5-inch-wide disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, make filling: Combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and pinch of salt in a large bowl. Reserving 4 cups, transfer the rest of the apple mixture to a Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the apples are tender and beginning to break down, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the reserved apples and 2 tablespoons flour; let cool for about 30 minutes.
3. To assemble & bake pie: Position a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand for 5 minutes to warm slightly. Roll one portion between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Scrape the filling into the crust. Roll the remaining portion of dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into another 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet of paper and invert the dough onto the fruit. Peel off the remaining paper. Trim the crust so it overhangs evenly. Tuck the top crust under the bottom crust, sealing the two together and making a plump edge. Flute the edge with your fingers. Combine 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the crust with egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Cut 6 steam vents in the top crust.
5. Bake the pie on the bottom rack for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack for about 1 1/2 hours before serving.

How do you stay in shape? What healthy recipes do you enjoy? Tell me all about it!