Apple-Cranberry-Currant Pie with French Topping

Beth Secrest once baked four to eight pies a day at the Northern Lights Saloon on the border of Glacier National Park. Now she puts her baking expertise to use at home, where she created this dressed-up apple pie. If making it up to 1 day ahead, cover and chill. To warm the cold pie, bake uncovered in a 350° oven 10 to 15 minutes.

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  brandy
• 1/4  cup  currants
• 1 1/2  cups  fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
• About 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 6  tablespoons  plus 1 cup unbleached or regular all- purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon  finely shredded orange zest
• 3/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 6  cups  sliced peeled Granny Smith apples (about 2 1/4 lb.)
• 10-inch pie pastry for a single-crust pie
• 2/3  cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup  (1/4 lb.) butter or margarine, cut into chunks

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine brandy and currants. Cover and let stand until currants are plump, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

2. Preheat oven to 375°. Sort cranberries and discard any that are bruised or decayed. Rinse and drain berries.

3. In a large bowl, mix 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons flour, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. With a slotted spoon, lift currants from brandy; reserve brandy. Add currants, cranberries, and apples to sugar mixture and mix well. Taste and add more granulated sugar if desired. Pour filling into unbaked 10-inch pie pastry in pan. Drizzle evenly with reserved brandy.

4. In another bowl, mix 1 cup flour and the brown sugar. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or rub with your fingers until mixture forms small lumps. Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Set pie in a foil-lined 12-inch pizza pan or 10- by 15-inch baking pan.

5. Bake on the bottom rack until juices bubble around edges and through topping, 55 to 65 minutes. If pie browns too quickly (check after 30 minutes), cover loosely with foil.

6. Set pie, uncovered, on a rack until cool to touch, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

428 (34% from fat)

Protein:

3.6g

Fat:

16g (sat 0.0)

Carbohydrate:

69g

Fiber:

2.5g

Sodium:

219mg

Cholesterol:

31mg