The apple of my pie.

Fall is fully upon us! Here in the Mid-Atlantic, we were still feeling sultry 70s into October. The last couple weeks have finally cooled down (even with some unusually icy weather over the weekend). But not to worry, as fall has its perks: crisp evening air, boot sales, pumpkin spice lattes (pumpkin spice everything, really), foliage.... 

One of my favorite fall traditions is apple picking. Growing up, I lived 20 minutes from a spectacular orchard (and makers of my favorite cider to this day). Fall meant Saturday trips with friends to pick up gallons of cider, bushels of pick-your-own apples, and whatever fudge, candy, donuts, or other baked goods were in the old-timey store. The trees were big enough (or perhaps we were small enough) to allow us to climb up into the branches to get sun-warmed fruit from the top of the tree. I missed apple picking in college, so when my friends decided they wanted to find an orchard this year, we decided it was worth the hour-long drive to get to Homestead Farm in Poolesville, MD.

After a long drive (which included an unexpected road closure and detour), we arrived at the farm: rolling hills with perfect rows of fruit trees; a farm stand full of cabbages, squashes, and turnips; stacked bales of hay; cute barnyard animals wandered around pens to complete the picturesque scene of the fall countryside. (One toddler pointed at a fuzzy, pink-and-white piglet and said, "I found Wilbur!") It was perfect.

Except for the fact that there were no apples to be picked. The staff told us that an unusual amount of storms and wind had shortened this year's You-Pick season, but we were welcome to look up and down the rows for fallen fruit and anything left on the branch. We found a couple edible ones on lower branches, enough to make me feel as though I'd had my fall experience (helped by the overall atmosphere and purchase of a few jars of preserves in the old-timey store). Plus the weather was absolutely beautiful -- sunny but crisp -- and a road trip with friends is always a good time.

Slightly disappointed by the slim pickin's but inspired by the trip overall, I returned home and tried out a new recipe (with grocery store apples) from Real Simple: a ginger-spiced apple pie. I found it to be extremely light and refreshing, a nice departure from what can sometimes be a sticky and cloying dessert. My office mates seemed to enjoy it as well:

So maybe we didn't get to pluck apples from the trees, but the tradition of visiting an orchard in the fall is as American as...well, you know.

~


Ginger-Spiced Apple Pie
(adapted from Real Simple)

I made this recipe with a traditional top-and-bottom full crust rather than with the crumble suggested by Real Simple. I'm a real sucker for flaky pastry.

1 recipe pâte brisée (2 disks; or store-bought piecrust)
1 T all-purpose flour
1/2 c + 1 T granulated sugar
2 1/2 lb apples (about 5; tart Granny Smith make the best pies, in my opinion), peeled and thinly sliced
2 T grated fresh ginger
1/4-1/2 t ground ginger (flavor booster on top of fresh ginger)
3/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t kosher salt
1 egg
1 T water

Set an oven rack in the middle position and heat oven to 375ºF. Place the pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet. In a large bowl, toss the apples, ginger (fresh and ground), cinnamon, salt, 1 c sugar, and flour until well-mixed.

Roll out disks of pie crust and fit one into a 9" pie plate. Heap apples into the pan and top with the other crust, crimping the edges and cutting out steam vents. Beat egg with water to create an egg wash. Brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash and sprinkle the remaining T of sugar over it to create a crisp and caramelized crust.

Bake until the top is golden and the apples are tender, 55 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature (room temperature will make nicer, sturdier slices).