Seasonal Potluck: Apple Limoncello Pie

I can’t let apple season go by without baking a pie……ok 2 pies. (Tune in tomorrow for #2!) This month really flew by for me, and I’m sure October will be no different.

I was having a great conversation with a friend of mine the other day about patience. About how its hard following your dreams, and working so hard, yet the results show up so slowly. They definitely show up, but sometimes we wish for more instant gratification. She said to me, “Bets, by the time we’re 40, we’ll be living the good life, total divas, living large” I agreed, but I already feel like I’m living pretty darn large! I mean, maybe not private jet and Cristal large, but not too shabby if you ask me. I think if she and I looked back 4 years from where we started, she would agree. I told her I thought this last year was the best year of my life so far. Also the hardest. I know nothing worth having ever comes easy, and the second we stop busting our asses is the second everything we have doesn’t mean anything anymore. I’m hoping the future brings new rewards, new challenges, and lots of more things to celebrate. Ok, never mind hoping, I’m gonna make it happen.

Wasn’t this post supposed to be about pie? Oh right. Starting the Apple month wrap up I present to you Apple Limoncello Pie from one of my favorite blogs, cakeduchess.com This pie totally blew my mind. I loved the lemon flavor, and the addition of the jam was complete perfection. I made her crust, instead of my usual pie crust, and it complemented the pie perfectly. I highly recommend giving this one a try.

Apple Limoncello Pie recipe from Cake Duchess

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons margarine or chilled vegetable shortening
1/4 cup ice water

In a large bowl, sift the flour and salt. Cut the chilled butter and margarine into 1-tablespoon bits and add to the flour. With a pastry cutter, work flour and shortening together until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the ice water little by little pressing the pastry together into a ball. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. **There is a food processor method listed on the Cake Duchess site if you click the link

It is very important to work the pastry as little as possible. Don’t over handle. A secret to light, flaky pastry is to keep the mixture cool, add as little water as possible, and mix only as much as necessary

If pastry has been chilled for a long time, let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before rolling.
Lightly flour a pastry board, marble counter, or kitchen counter. Divide the pastry in half. Pat each piece of pastry into a flat round. Lightly flour the rolling pin. Roll pastry in one direction only, turning pastry continually to prevent it from sticking to the surface.
Using pie plate as a guide, measure rolled-out pastry — it should be slightly larger than the pie plate and 1/8-inch thick. Fold rolled pastry circle in half so you can lift it more easily. Unfold, gently fitting the pastry into the pie plate, allowing pastry to hang evenly over the edge. Do not trim the pastry yet

Fill the pie with filling (directions on how to make filling below). Then roll out the second crust in the same manner as for the bottom. Fold circle in half and with a sharp, pointed knife cut little vents in a decorative pattern. Place folded pastry on one half the pie.
Unfold, pressing top and bottom pastry together. Trim edges with scissors, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold bottom pastry overhang over top and press firmly to seal. Crimp rim, using fingers or the tines of a fork

Apple Filling
juice of 2 lemons
5 to 6 medium to large apples*
1/3 cup light brown sugar (castor, unrefined, large granule sugar)
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons jam (I use strawberry or apricot)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup Limoncello (or orange or lemon juice)

For Egg Wash:

1 lightly beaten egg
To make the apple filling:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Juice the lemons into a large mixing bowl. Core, peel, and thinly slice the whole apples.
Dredge all the apple slices in the freshly squeezed lemon juice to prevent browning and to add flavor. Toss the Limoncello over the apples and mix it around to make sure they’re all coated. Toss the apples in the corn starch. Set the prepared apples aside

In a medium-sized skillet on medium heat, toss in the brown sugar and butter. When the butter has melted, add in the berry jamToss the apples into the brown sugar mixture. Cook them in the mixture for about 5 minutes.

Dump the apple mixture into the prepared pie crust. Add the other pie crust on top. Cut some air vents on top. Brush on the egg wash.Bake for about one hour or until the crust is a nice golden brown. If edges of pie crust start to get too brown, cover them lightly with aluminum foil.