Apple Pie, with Blueberries

pie1
Originally uploaded by galaxygoo1

This year, I decided to give apple pie another try. To see if I could make it a truly tasty treat.

To start with, I went to my local bakery (Noe Valley Bakery) and got some fresh "home made" pie crust. No messing with the dough, trusting my local pro.

That gave me time to focus on the filling. It's the apples that can make or break a pie. I went with a combination of granny smith and pink lady apples.

Before starting on the apples, I set aside a bowl with a little orange juice and a splash of vanilla in it. As I sliced the apples, they went into the juice. Every few apples, I'd add a sprinkle of sugar with cinnamon and coriander and mix it all up. My 7-year-old was a big help there.

Once the apples were all cut up, I took the dough out of the freezer and let it thaw for ten minutes, and placed the bottom sheet in the pie pan. Again, my helper stepped in.

I cooked the apples in a sauce pan for a few minutes, in the orange juice and spice mixture, before adding to the pie.

There was a lot of liquid left in the bowl, so I decided to put it in a sauce pan and reduce it down. This reduction was then poured over the apples in the pie.

Before putting the top crust on, we added blueberries! Which turned out to be a delicious addition.

I realize that I have a little trouble with keeping things simple in the kitchen, but at least the results are wonderfully delicious :-)