Friday Pie-Day: Cran-Apple Pie {Wassail Pie}

This was one of the most fragrant pies we have ever made. If you want to get in the mood for autumn, make this. Actually, it would be wonderful for Christmas too, because we decided it tasted like wassail. And wassail in a pie form? Seriously, how much better can it get?!

I used these ingredients to create this masterpiece.

An apple corer-peeler-slicer really comes in handy for chopping up 5 cups of apples! As you can see, ours has a little problem with peeling the skin off, but I will forgive it because it slices the apple just like a slinky!

For the record, apples cooking in apple juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg smells like apple cider.

We used frozen cranberries. Apples & cranberries seem like they would be the epitome of autumn, but put them together, and it's Christmas!

After making our traditional pie crust, I poured the filling inside.

Then I used this leaf cookie cutter to make decorations to go on top of the lattice crust.

I am pretty sure the original recipe used a smaller cookie cutter, since the leaves fit perfectly over the lattice strips and ours kinda hung over a lot.

 

But… I am not complaining. It still turned out pretty beautifully.

Before baking, I brushed it with egg to make it brown and shiny. It did not require much time in the oven, since the filling was already mostly cooked.

After baking, I let it sit for about an hour, and it sliced like this!

Cran-apple pie tastes better served on an autumnish tablecloth.

And in case you were wondering, we put these leftovers out of their misery within 24 hours.

Cran-Apple Pie (recipe from Taste of Home)

5 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples

¾ cup plus 2 T. apple juice, divided

¾ cup sugar

¾ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. nutmeg

2 T. plus 2 tsp. cornstarch

2 cups fresh cranberries

2 (9-inch) pie crust

optional tool for decoration: leaf cookie cutter

1. In a large saucepan, combine apples, ¾ cup apple juice, and spices; bring to a boil over medium heat stirring occasionally.
2. Combine cornstarch and remaining jucie until smooth; add to saucepan. Return to boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened.
3. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and stir in cranberries.
4. Roll out pie crust and place in pie pan. Pour filling into pie crust. Divide remaining dough in half; roll out the first half and cut into 6 (½-inch-wide) strips to make lattice crust.
5. Cut out remaining dough with leaf cookie cutter if desired. Lightly brush lattice and edge of crust with egg. Overlap cutouts on lattice crust and along edge of pie. Brush cutouts with egg; sprinkle lightly with sugar.
6. Cover with pie crust shield or foil around the edges and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove shield and bake 15-20 minutes longer. Cool on wire rack.