Apple Rhubarb Pie with Aleppo Pepper and Herbs

Another Pi(e) Day is upon us.  You know by now, that I can’t let an excuse to make a pie pass me by.

You may be asking yourself, what on earth is Pi Day?  Well, all the math geeks know that Pi (the number denoting the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle ) is 3.14159…  But let’s just concentrate on the first part: 3.14.  Or another way of writing out March 14.  So yes, every March 14th is Pi Day.  And all the bakers out there have decided to commandeer this day for their own.  So it is now Pi(e) Day!!!

As this day approaches this year, the world is in the throes of the Covid-19 virus pandemic.  People are scared, and understandably, of catching more than just another flu.  I myself have been dealing with the aftermath of a nasty cold.  No fever or sore throat, but a pretty decent cough has decided to make me it’s home.  So I haven’t left the house in almost a week. I won’t go into all the ramifications, or what people are having to deal with it, but it is unsettling.

Back to the benign topic of pie! Being stuck at home made coming up with a new pie quite challenging.  I decided that I was going to come up with a filling based on what is already in the fridge and pantry, instead of sending Jim out to shop for me.  Surely I would have enough ingredients to work with to create a fun and tasty pie.  And this is the pie that happened!

I had a basket of bright shiny Ontario apples just begging to be baked into something.  And there were ribs of rhubarb in the crisper.  So this would be the base for the pie filling.  I’ve used them together before with grand results. There were some fresh thyme and mint in the crisper as well.  So these would go in as well.  Since I would be using fresh herbs, I didn’t want to complicate the flavours too much with muddy spices.  So a simple cardamom and cinnamon spice blend would be added to the sugar, as well as a pinch of Aleppo pepper.  Yes, a bit of pepper.  I love pepper with fruit.  And Aleppo isn’t overly hot, rather more on the fruity side!  Perfect for apples and rhubarb.

This year I decided not to play too much with the pastry.  Last year I made a chocolate marbled pastry to encase the Strawberry Rhubarb and Urfa Pepper filling.  Another year I coloured the tiles and leaves with matcha powder and cocoa powder.  And yet another year I used cinnamon to give the crust a burnished look.  And of course, fresh herbs often get added to the pastry.  But this time around, I figured that there was enough going on inside, that the crust didn’t need embellishing flavour-wise.  One less thing to worry about.  Just my trusty No Fail, Perfect Pie Crust recipe as is.

As usual, have two rounds of the pastry ready to go.  In other words, one batch of the recipe.  Line the pie plate with one of the rounds and leave it in the fridge to chill while the filling is softening in a bowl.  This just means that the apple and rhubarb slices have been tossed in the sugar, thickeners like arrowroot starch, flour or cornstarch, and spices mixture, and are hanging out in a bowl to let the sugar soften the flesh of the raw fruit.  

Once suitably softened (about 15 minutes or so) a couple of tablespoons of almond meal is scattered on the bottom of the pie shell.  Then the filling is spooned into the shell.  Use your fingers (the best kitchen tool you own) to make sure all the slices fit and fill in any holes or gaps.  And push down gently to ensure that any final spaces are eliminated.  While you were doing this, hopefully you pulled out the second round of pastry.  While the pie shell is returned to the fridge, roll out and create the top crust you want.  If it is just a simple top, then you can pretty well cap the pie immediately.  If however you are creating braids, cut outs etc, you should cut out the strips etc, and lay them onto a wax paper lined baking sheet.  Place this in the fridge or freezer to chill the pastry.  Not so cold that they will break when handled, but just chilled enough that when you go to manipulate that they won’t melt in your warm hands.  Cover the pie as desired and return to the fridge or even the freezer.  The chill will ensure that the shapes you worked hard to create won’t shrink when the heat of the oven hits them.

A typical bake, where the first part of the time is in the lower third of the oven, and then moving the pie to the centre rack for the second half is all that is needed.  Pretty well this method works for any fruit filled covered pie.  Once you see the fruit juices bubbling up and out, you know that the filling is happily done inside.  Move the pie to a cooling rack and wait.  Yes, wait.  A fruit pie should get a good four hours to overnight before getting cut into.  It is worth the wait, I promise.  

The sweet apple slices, and the contrast of the tart rhubarb give this a bright, happy flavour.  The balance is perfect.  This pie will not last long. I promise it may just become a new favourite.  Happy Pi Day!

Love Jen

Print

Apple and Rhubarb Pie with Aleppo Pepper and Herbs

A fresh early Spring pie, with the contrast of sweet apples and tart rhubarb. Fresh mint and thyme join cardamom and cinnamon to help flavour the fruit. A touch of fruity Aleppo Pepper brings out all the best of the fruit.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apples, rhubarb

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1 double crust Pie Pastry recipe see Notes for Perfect Pie Pastry link
• 2 1/2 cups peeled cored and sliced apples (you can use a variety: Gala, Ambosia, Honeycrisp etc)
• 2 1/2 cups rhubarb chopped. If the stalk is large in diameter split it lengthwise and then chop
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 2 tsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• egg wash 1 egg, beaten with a little water
• 1 tbsp raw or demerara sugar

Instructions

1. Have pie pastry prepared, two disks, in the fridge.

2. Bring one disk to room temperature and roll out on a well floured surface to fit a 9 inch pie plate.

3. Roll out the pastry onto a well floured rolling pin and transfer to the pie place, unrolling it to fit and gently hang over. Ease it into the plate. Trim the edges to a 1 inch border along the edges. Return to the fridge to set for 30 minutes.

4. When ready to fill the pie, remove the other disk of pastry from the fridge to soften slightly.

5. Combine the apples and rhubarb in a large bowl. Toss in 1 tsp of lemon juice.

6. Combine the sugar, starch, flour, cinnamon, cardamom, mint, thyme and Aleppo pepper in a small bowl and mix well.

7. Pour this over the fruit and stir to combine well.
8. Scatter the ground almonds over the bottom of the pie crust. Spread them out in a nice layer.
9. Add the fruit and juices over the almonds. Ensure that there are no gaps or spaces, make sure the slices of apple or rhubarb are filling every nook and cranny. Push down gently with your hands. Place in the fridge while you are working on the top crust.
10. Roll out the disk to 1/6 inch or so, and use cookie cutters to make shapes to cover your pie. Crimp the edges as you want. Or you can just make another circle to fit over the pie. Press the edges together and fold under and then crimp or flute. If using a full pastry top, cut vent holes to allow the steam to escape.
11. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. You can even place the pie in the freezer for 10 minutes.
12. Preheat the oven to 425F. Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
13. When ready to bake, place the pie on a baking sheet and brush the entire top with the egg wash. Then sprinkle the top with the finishing sugar.
14. Bake in the lower third for 30 minutes.
15. Reduce the temperature to 375F and move the baking sheet and pie to a rack in the middle of the oven. Continue baking for another 30 minutes or so, until the juices are bubbling and the crust is golden brown. (if you find that the edges are getting browned before the pie is done, place a pie guard or tinfoil over the edged and continue baking)
16. Let the pie cool at least 4 hours to set the filling and juices.

Recipe Notes

I find it best with juicy fruit pies to either bake it first thing in the morning or even the day before serving. You want the juices to set properly.
Here is the link for my Pie Pastry