Five Spice Apple Pie

As a continuation from my fabulous birthday trip, we stopped on our way home at Louisburg Orchard and Cider Mill.  We had previously purchased some Arkansas Black apples at the City Market in KC, but we wanted more.   We found cheap Jonathan apples at the orchard’s shop.

What do you do when you buy a bushel of apples direct from the orchard for a mere $12.95?

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You make apple butter, can up some apple pie filling, and make pie.

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Having that many apples allows a bit of experimentation.

Five Spice Apple Pie
based on Five-Spice Apple Pie

4 lbs. Jonathan apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
1/2 c. unsweetened apple juice
1/2 T. ClearJel*
1 1/4 t. Chinese Five Spice
1 T. butter, melted
1/2 T. sugar
dough for a two-crust pie
1-2 T. milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place sliced apples in a large mixing bowl.   Place the apple juice, Clear Jel, Chinese Five Spice, butter, and sugar in a blender and mix until smooth.    Pour over apples and toss.

Place bottom crust in a 9-inch pie pan.   Load in apples.  Top with upper crust and crimp edges.   Cut vents in top crust.   Brush top crust with milk.

Place pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.  (It will bubble over).

Bake at 425 degrees for 55-65 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

*ClearJel is a specially modified form of corn starch, recommended by the USDA for use as a thickener in home canning and homemade pie fillings.  I have some in the pantry from canning up pie fillings and some really weird pickles.   (If you can’t find ClearJel, use some cornstarch or even flour for a thickener.)  There is a great thick apple pie filling recipe that uses Clear Jel in  Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.   

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This is a tart, not-too-sweet pie that does need the ice cream.

This is not your grandmother’s apple pie but it is a great change of pace.

 

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