Monday, October 11, 2010

Connecticut Cider Pie, Gourmet Magazine, October 1973




Something spectacular to make while the cider is still around. If you're worried about fat, this pie has no dairy in the filling, and no eggs either-it is thickened with sugar, cider, and cornstarch. Pie crust is till bad for you though, sorry.

You need a one-crust, blind baked shell for this. I used my regular, old pie crust recipe. You can get fancy with it, or buy a frozen one (I won't tell). It does help to chill the entire pie plate and dough for a bit before baking, as they tend to shrink a bit. I'd also make a point of building the sides up high, in case you need to go crazy with whipped cream (hey, if you need to, then who the hell am I to judge, eh?) Crushed apple chips would also be nice atop this, but the recipe called for crushed walnuts.

Blind bake a pie shell. Cool on a rack (I like to slip mine out of the pan to cool-it keeps it from getting soggy, but if your crust is fragile, skip it). Make the filling.

For the filling:

10 tablespoons cornstarch (not a typo)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
5 cups apple cider

Combine all dry ingredients in a heavy pot and whisk in the cider in a stream. Over medium heat, whisk until dissolved. Increase heat, bring to a boil and switch to a wooden spoon. Cook until mixture is clear, and thick stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Pour filling into a bowl, cover with a piece of buttered wax paper and cool until lukewarm. Return crust to pie plate, fill with filling and chill until firm. Top with sweetened whipped cream.

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