We will tell you this: if you have a favorite apple pie recipe, just add 1/4 teaspoon of Rubarama to the filling. That's it, really.
Howwwevvvvvver...if you haven't found a passion for a specific recipe, might we suggest the one below. It's a favorite that we worked up from an old family recipe. The crust is the stand-by Flaky Pie Pastry recipe from Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Baking. Please note that this recipe is for a double-crust pie.
Pastry Crust
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 3/4" cubes
- 6 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening, cut into similar sizes as butter
- 8 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
Fit a food processor with a metal blade (chill it if you can, but not a must). Add the flour, sugar and salt to the work bowl and pulse the machine 2 or 3 times to mix the ingredients evenly.
Add butter cubes and shortening bits to the work bowl. Pulse the food processor 8 to 10 times. At this point, some of the pieces should be blended into the flour and the bits should be the size of peas.
Add ice water and pulse the machine 10 to 12 times.
Test the pie dough by stopping the food processor and squeezing a piece of dough. If dough crumbles, add more ice water — a tablespoon at a time — and pulse just until the dough holds together when pinched. When the dough is done, it will come together in a rough mass, not a ball, in the processor bowl.
Be mindful to not over-mix the crust as it will be tough. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Cut in half and shape the dough into two 6-inch disks. Wrap well in Bee's Wraps or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Dough can sit overnight.
When ready to make the pie, take the dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured and cool surface until disks are 11" in diameter.
Makes two pastry sheets to fit a standard 9-inch pie plate.
Rubarama Fruit Filling
You can used most any fruit for this pie recipe, but we love this apple pear combination as the harvest is great this time of year.
- 4 apples, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
- 2 pears, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, strained
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Jack's Blend
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 egg, beaten
In a large bowl, combine apples, pears, lemon juice, butter, brown sugar, Rubarama, and cinnamon, and mix together with large wooden spoon. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400ºF and place rack in lower third of the oven. Place a rimmed cookie sheet that is larger than your pie dish on a rack just below.
Roll out the pastry, placing one in the bottom of the pie dish. Stir the apple-pear mixture and gently pour onto the pastry, making it level.
Place the second pastry disk on top. Trim and flute the edges, being sure to have sealed the two pastry disks together.
Lightly brush the top of the pastry, there should not be any puddling of egg wash on the surface.
Cut vents in the top pastry. Have fun and make it decorative. Feel free to use raw sugar for extra sweetness and interesting texture.
Bake for 15 minutes at 400ºF and then reduct the temperature to 350ºF for 40-45 minutes. The pie will be done with the top is slightly browned and you can see the apple-pear mixture bubbling.
Remove pie dish and cool on a trivet or wire rack for 20 minutes before serving.
What we used: Rubarama Jack's Blend, Breville Sous Chef Food Processor, Marble Rolling Pin, Silicone Brush