Paleo Apple Pie
Apple is a Star
Everyone knows and has already eaten a variety of apple pie, tart, cake. I shared the recipe of my Apple Tart with you earlier. This apple pie is also gluten and lactose free, paleo diet friendly. One of friends of my mother offered me with the classic variation of this apple pie. It was so delicious! But she used wheat flour. I immediately started thinking about how to make the gluten-free version. And here it is! I use blanched almond flour and tapioca flour instead of wheat flour. This pie crust can be used for quiche and apple tart also.
The way apples are used and prepared is very varied. All parts of the apple can be used. Grated, sliced apple in desserts is very well-known. Apple juice is not a surprise. But what we can do with the peel?
Tip!
Use of Apple Peel
Apple Peels Chips – Mix apple peels with cinnamon, coconut sugar and melted butter then place on a baking tray and bake in the oven on 120 C for 2.5 hours, until they are crispy.
Apple Peel Tea – Put apple peels to hot water, add a cinnamon stick and clove and wait until its temperature becomes drinkable. You will get an apple flavored tea.
Apple Flavored Water – Put some peels to bottle of water and let it rest for an hour.
Homemade Apple Vinegar – When you have a lot of peels and cores leftover from a pie, save them in a jar. When the jar is full, add sugar and fill it with water. Set aside in a dark and cool place for a month. Check it sometimes and add more water and sugar if water is evaporated. When the vinegar is ready, strain and store in the fridge.
Paleo Apple Pie
Equipment
- 34 cm x 22 cm, deep pie dish
- grater
Ingredients
For the gluten free crust
- 300 gram blanched almond flour
- 80 gram tapioca flour
- 70 gram cold lactose free butter or ghee
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 tbsp ice cold water
For the filling
- 1.6 kg apple about 10 pcs big Elstar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp cinnamon ground
- 1 lemon
- 3 egg whites
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C.
- Make the crust. Mix the almond flour, tapioca and salt in a big bowl.
- Add the cold butter and crumble with the flour, mix very quickly by hand until it's roughly the size of peas. You have to work fast as to not overwork the dough. The crust's texture will not turn out good if you warm it up with your hands.
- Add eggs and mix quickly until combined.
- Add the ice-cold water and knead the dough into a ball.
- Take one-third of the dough out, wrap it in cling film and put in the refrigerator.
- Sprinkle two-third of the dough with a bit of tapioca flour and slightly push it in. Place the dough between two pieces of baking papers.
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of 8 mm.
- Transfer the dough to 34 cm x 22 cm, deep pie dish. It's not easy but do not worry if the dough breaks or tears, you can push the dough back together by hand into the dish. Press the dough up the sides of the pan also to 1.5 cm high.
- Lay one piece of baking paper to the top of the dough and fill with dry beans or pie weights. I use ceramic pie weights. The pie weights ensure the dough doesn't rise while baking.
- Bake it for 10 minutes. This process is called blind-baking.
- Remove the pie weights and the baking paper and bake it for another 10 minutes.
- Take it out from the oven.
- Meanwhile make the filling. Peel and cut out the cores then grate the apples with a large hole grater. Use a big bowl.
- Wait 5 minutes then push the juice of the apple out gently by hand. (Drink this natural apple juice, we do not need it in the pie.)
- Add honey, cinnamon, zest of one lemon and juice of half lemon.
- Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks by electric hand mixer.
- Combine grated apples with whipped egg whites gently.
- Pour this mixture over the pre-baked crust and smooth evenly.
- Take the rest dough out from the refrigerator and crumble to the top of the mixture. Decrease the temperature to 175°C and bake for 1 hour, until its top is golden.
- Let it cool perfectly, otherwise it’s not possible to slice nicely. Use a very sharp knife. Enjoy!