Putting summer’s bounty to work in the autumn is a natural part of the rhythm of home living, and it’s hard to beat the house-warming scent of an apple pie bubbling away in the oven. Perhaps not something that comes readily to mind as a target for enhancement with lavender, apple pie indeed offers a good opportunity to do precisely that. The classic scents of cinnamon and nutmeg not only warm the fragrance of baked apples, but just happen to be complementary to lavender. As always, a gentle hand is needed to avoid overdoing the lavender flavor. Subtlety is preferred, manifesting as a warm hint of lavender lingering at the back of the mouth after swallowing the first couple tasty bites. Good quality ingredients make flavoring efforts more reliable, so we invite you to seek guidance and supplies from some of our culinary lavender specialists (click LINK).
Ingredients
- 6-9 pie apples (depending on size; see note below)
- 1/2 cup butter, unsalted
- 3 Tbsp AP flour
- 2 Tbsp dried culinary lavender buds (see note below)
- 1 gm piece of whole nutmeg
- 0.5 gm black pepper corns
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1.5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2.5 Tbsp lavender hydrosol (see note below)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg, whisked in a small bowl
- Coarse sugar for dusting (such as Maui Gold, demerara, or turbinado)
- Prepared pie crust (sufficient for top and bottom of 9 inch pie pan)
Instructions
Assemble needed equipment: 9 inch pie plate, pastry beads or beans, dinner fork, whisk, bowls, pastry brush, peeler, knife, cutting board, foil or parchment paper.
Heat oven: 400ºF convection bake.
Prepare the bottom crust: Into a 9 inch pie pan or plate, fit the rolled out bottom crust, and adjust the edges to your preference. Dock the base with the tines of a dinner fork. Line with foil or parchment, and fill with pastry beads or beans. Bake 12-20 minutes, just until the edges are pale golden. Take out of the oven and remove the baking beads/beans and foil or parchment. Egg wash the base and sides, then return to the oven and bake until the base is lightly browned (which only takes a few minutes). Remove from oven and set aside
Prepare apples: Peel, quarter, and core the pie apples. Then cut into 1/4 inch slices. You will need 750 grams of sliced apple.
Prepare spice mixture: Place nutmeg, lavender buds, and pepper corns into a spice grinder, and process until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and add the cinnamon and salt.
Assemble the apple filling: In a large saucepan or frying pan, melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the flour, and stir until the flour is very lightly toasted. Then add the spice mixture; mix for a few seconds to warm the spices. Mix in the lemon juice and hydrosol. Toss the prepared apples into the warm filling, heating just long enough to warm the slices. Then transfer the filling to the prepared pan with the pre-baked bottom crust.
Re-heat oven: 400ºF pure bake.
Assemble the top lattice crust: On parchment, cut 3/4 inch strips of rolled-out dough. Use 5-6 strips in one direction to line the top of the pie. Then use a similar number of strips at right angles, weaving a lattice with the first set of strips. Egg wash the exposed pastry strips, then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake: Place the completed pie in the center of the oven, with a drip tray placed on the shelf below. Bake for 15 minutes, and then rotate the pie. Continue to bake 15-30 minutes (depending on your oven) until the top crust is deeply browned, and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.
NOTES
Pie Apples: The preferred varieties of apple for pies tend to retain their form when baked. They are often slightly tart. Granny Smith is a classic choice. Others include Braeburn and Pink Lady. Honeycrisp apples are often combined with Granny Smith to onset some of Granny’s tartness. Gravenstein apples were used in the development of this recipe, simply because they were hanging on the tree, ready to use.
Lavender buds: Be sure to use a good quality culinary lavender bud from the Lavandula angustifolia family. For example, I chose L. angustifolia ‘Folgate’ for the development of this recipe. The buds should retain a rich lavender scent when rubbed between your fingers. You may need to increase or decrease the quantity used depending on the relative strength of your lavender buds.
Lavender hydrosol (also called hydrolat): Choose a distinctly sweet-smelling hydrosol, usually with hints of honey aroma, from an L. angustifolia distillation. The hydrosol should be perfectly clear with no droplets of oil on the surface.
Contributed & formatted by
Michael Lemmers
RavenCroft
