Dried Apple Pour-Through Pie
Dried apples simmered in cider, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, then baked in a flaky double crust with cream poured through the top. This Appalachian-style pie delivers concentrated apple flavor no fresh pie can match.
YIELD
1 PiePREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsThe “pour-through” technique is what sets this pie apart from every other apple pie on the table. Right before it finishes baking, you drizzle heavy cream through the slashes in the golden top crust, and it seeps down through the warm spiced apples into something rich and almost custard-like.
Dried apples simmered in real apple cider have a concentrated, chewy sweetness that fresh slices just can’t touch. The cider-soaked fruit paired with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a squeeze of lemon makes a filling that tastes like fall distilled into a single bite.
This is a heritage pie with serious Appalachian roots, and it deserves a spot on your Thanksgiving table.
Pro Tips
- Don’t overcook the dried apples. You want them softened but still holding their shape. Mushy apples make a mushy pie.
- Save the leftover cider from simmering. Chilled, it makes a killer drinking cider with all that concentrated apple flavor.
- Pour the cream slowly through the slashes. Give it a few seconds to seep in between pours so it distributes evenly instead of pooling on top.
- A sugar-milk glaze on the top crust gives you that bakery-window golden shine.
Ingredients
Directions
Divide the dough into two slightly unequal portions. Roll out the larger piece on a floured surface to a thickness of ⅛ inch. Fit it into a deep 9- or 9½-inch pie dish. Roll the smaller piece of dough to a circle ⅛ inch thick and transfer it to a foil lined baking sheet. Place the pastry dough in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
Bring the cider to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the dried apples and simmer, covered, until they are softened but not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes (timing may vary; add water to keep the apples covered with liquid, if necessary). Drain the apples, reserving the cider.
Preheat the oven to 425℉ (220℃). Sift into a mixing bowl the ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the drained apples and toss gently. Add ¼ cup of the reserved cider (chill the remainder for drinking) and the lemon juice, and toss again. Add more sugar to taste. Pour the mixture into the pastry-lined pie dish, mounding the apples in the center. Dot with butter; then lay the top crust over loosely. Trim off excess pastry, leaving a ¾ inch border. Turn the edges under the edges of the bottom crust, forming a smooth border on the rim of pie plate. Crimp or flute the border.
Brush the pastry lightly with milk, then sprinkle with 1 Tbs sugar for a light glaze. Cut several slashes in the top crust to release steam.
Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 400℉ (200℃) and continue to bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes longer. About 5 minutes before the pie is done. Dribble the cream into the slashes to the top crust, then bake 5 minutes longer.
Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
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