Cran Apple Pie

One of my favorite desserts during the fall season, besides anything and everything with pumpkin in it, is apple pie. All of the variations are so great, but sometimes a bit heavy and food coma inducing. I love trying out new combinations of fruit for pies, and I think this one really ended up surprisingly delicious. This pie would be great for Thanksgiving or any holiday dinner, with the tartness of the dried cranberries pairing wonderfully with the sweetness of the spartan apples.

I cheated a little bit with this recipe and used a whole wheat pre-made crust, and that definitely cut a lot of prep time out of making it. So, you can do as I or you can use your favorite pastry crust recipe. 🙂

Ingredients:

• 1-8″ Pre-made Pie Crust
• 3 Cups Peeled & Sliced Apple
• 3/4 Cup Dried Cranberries
• 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
• 3 Tbsp. Melted Earth Balance
• 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup to Drizzle Lightly on top

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. You are going to be layering the ingredients so that the flavors are evenly distributed. Take the apple slices and organize them into a nice design, or just into a single layer. Sprinkle 1/3 of the sugar, earth balance, cinnamon and cranberries on top and repeat until there is three layers. Drizzle maple syrup on top.
2. Cover the top of the pie and crust with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for an additional 5 minutes. This pie will not be syrupy when it is done, which makes it great and is not regret inducing. 😉

The colors of the cranberries really pop against the pale flesh of the apples, and with the sugar crystals cover them they look like little rubies. Delicious, edible rubies!

And the finished product! Now, tell me you wouldn’t eat this in one sitting. I nearly did, I won’t lie.