Apple-Limoncello Pie

This summer while I was in Italy I go to enjoy all of the amazing Italian pastries. Maybe I enjoyed it all a little too much. Just possibly I ate one too many Nutella filled brioche for breakfast.

Sometimes I had a gelato when I maybe should’ve been having a nice juicy apple. There were days when my mother-in-law Teresa made two cakes because one cake was just not enough. I promised myself I would not overdo it. Salted Caramel Apple Pie is another great apple pie idea!

I broke the promise the first day there.

I think I made the right decision.

The crust was perfectly flakey. The apples were moist and had a hint of Limoncello flavor. I skipped my portion and had some pastries that day. I figured I can make my apple pie any time.

The summer is flying by and we have been busy with the cousins visiting. Today we visited the Jupiter Lighthouse and the Loggerhead Marine Life Center. We saw the most beautiful Loggerhead turtles. Some were even days old. The cousins are keeping us busy and I am keeping them well-fed. They like my American desserts too.

Apple-Limoncello Pie
Perfect Pie Crust Ingredients:
pie crust recipe straight from Martha Stewart
*feel free to use a ready made pie crust
Yield: Makes 1 double-crust for a 9-inch pie
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons margarine or chilled vegetable shortening
1/4 cup ice water

Directions:
Hand Method: In a large bowl, sift the flour and salt. Cut the chilled butter and margarine into 1-tablespoon bits and add to the flour. With a pastry cutter, work flour and shortening together until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the ice water little by little pressing the pastry together into a ball. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

It is very important to work the pastry as little as possible. Don’t over handle. A secret to light, flaky pastry is to keep the mixture cool, add as little water as possible, and mix only as much as necessary.

Food Processor Method: Put flour and salt in bowl of machine. Cut butter and margarine into flour. Process a few seconds until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drop by drop add the water, processing very briefly. The whole process would take 20 to 30 seconds. Wrap and chill the pastry for at least 1 hour.

If pastry has been chilled for a long time, let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before rolling.
Lightly flour a pastry board, marble counter, or kitchen counter. Divide the pastry in half. Pat each piece of pastry into a flat round. Lightly flour the rolling pin. Roll pastry in one direction only, turning pastry continually to prevent it from sticking to the surface.
Using pie plate as a guide, measure rolled-out pastry — it should be slightly larger than the pie plate and 1/8-inch thick. Fold rolled pastry circle in half so you can lift it more easily. Unfold, gently fitting the pastry into the pie plate, allowing pastry to hang evenly over the edge. Do not trim the pastry yet.
Fill the pie with filling (directions on how to make filling below). Then roll out the second crust in the same manner as for the bottom. Fold circle in half and with a sharp, pointed knife cut little vents in a decorative pattern. Place folded pastry on one half the pie.
Unfold, pressing top and bottom pastry together. Trim edges with scissors, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold bottom pastry overhang over top and press firmly to seal. Crimp rim, using fingers or the tines of a fork. (Or, you could trim lattice strips to overlap on top like I did.)

Apple Filling
juice of 2 lemons
5 to 6 medium to large apples*
1/3 cup light brown sugar (castor, unrefined, large granule sugar)
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons jam (I use strawberry or apricot)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup Limoncello (or orange or lemon juice)

For Egg Wash:
1 lightly beaten egg
To make the apple filling:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Juice the lemons into a large mixing bowl. Core, peel, and thinly slice the whole apples.
Dredge all the apple slices in the freshly squeezed lemon juice to prevent browning and to add flavor. Toss the Limoncello over the apples and mix it around to make sure they’re all coated. Toss the apples in the corn starch. Set the prepared apples aside.

In a medium-sized skillet on medium heat, toss in the brown sugar and butter. When the butter has melted, add in the berry jam.

Toss the apples into the brown sugar mixture. Cook them in the mixture for about 5 minutes.


Dump the apple mixture into the prepared pie crust. Add the other pie crust on top.

Cut some air vents on top. Brush on the egg wash.Bake for about one hour or until the crust is a nice golden brown. If edges of pie crust start to get too brown, cover them lightly with aluminum foil.