Raw Apple Pie... yummy AND healthy!

Raw? Yes! This pie is both delicious and good for you! How can you go wrong with fruit and nuts? There’s no flour, butter, sugar… ‘ok, then how can that taste good?’, you ask. I counter with… You like apples right? You like almonds? Dates (the fruit )? How about oranges? Then you will LOVE this apple pie.

Choose an apple variety that you like to eat ‘out of hand’, I prefer braeburn, but I’ve made this with gala as well. I have chosen to keep the peel on the apples, because I like it and it’s full of fiber and other nutrients. Likewise, I have zested the orange and added this to the syrup, it gives it a bit more of a citrus-y-sour kick.

Raw Apple Pie

adapted from Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen

Rating: Awesome

You will need:

• blender
• food processor
• 9″ pie dish, a deep one & preferably glass

crust

2 cups almonds, soaked then dried
1 tsp. sea salt
2 cups pitted dates, sliced

syrup

1/2 cup pitted dates
1 orange, zest reserved, peeled and seeded
water as needed

filling

4-5 apples, cored and thinly sliced ( I prefer braeburn)
1 cup raisins
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
handful of dried cranberries

• Soak the almonds in twice as much water as almonds for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse. Lay out in one layer on paper towels while you make the syrup and filling 5-10 min. Ani Phyo suggests soaking overnight and then air drying for a few hours. I usually don’t have that much patience, I want pie now!

syrup

• Place the orange and zest in the blender, blend. Add dates a little at a time (making sure that they are pit-free), adding water as needed, until you have a nice syrup.

filling

• Core and slice apples. I like to cut the apple into fourths, then I take one-forth and cut on an angle to remove the core ala Rachel Ray.



• I then lay the cored quarter, skin side up, and thinly slice.



• In a large bowl, one with lots of room for mixing, combine sliced apples, syrup, cinnamon, and raisins, Mix to combine. Set aside.

crust

• Slice 2 cups of dates, set aside. I do this for two reasons. One, making sure that they are actually pitted, I’ve come across one or two and nearly broke my food processor. Two, it makes quick work for the crust later.
• Pulse, now dry, almonds and salt in a food processor. Take out just enough almond crumbles to make a thin layer on the bottom of the pie dish, a handful or two. This will help the pie to not stick to the pan when serving. Now process the rest of the almonds with the sliced dates until it starts to stick together and make a ‘dough’.



• Press dough into the bottom of the pie dish. Starting from the center and working outward press until completely covered.



• Place about half the apple filling into the pie crust, taking most if not all the raisins with you.



• Place remaining apple filling in a fan-like form around the outermost circumference of the dish, and then another fan-like form on top of that one in the center of the dish. Sprinkle with cranberries. Enjoy.

Will keep, covered with saran wrap, in the fridge two days.

About these ads