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(Photography by Sarah Pflug © 2021)
This sweet and creamy plant-based treat is cookbook author Jo Snyder's favourite pie.
2 1/4 cups cake and pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 plant-based butter, room temperature
1/3 cup cold water
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp plant-based butter
4 cups apples cored, peeled and sliced (don't go fancy with the apples, never use Red Delicious. Try a good old McIntosh)
4 tbsp soy cream or soy milk, for the top (Silk coffee creamer works best)
In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.
Cut the plant-based butter into the flour with a pastry blender or two knives. You want the mixture to be the size of peas.
Add the water slowly, sprinkling 1 tablespoon at a time over the mixture.
Toss lightly with a fork. This shouldn’t be sticky or wet at all but everything should be dampened. Use only enough water so that the pastry holds together when pressed between your fingers.
Form the dough into a round ball with your hands. Some say you shouldn’t handle pie crust dough too much, but I find if I don’t really get in there with my hands and make a nice dough ball, then it won’t roll out as nicely. So, get in there and make sure it’s mixed well.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out into a circle about ⅛ inch thick and about 1 inch larger than the diameter of the top of your pie plate. You want it to hang over the sides when you place it gently on top so that when you press it into the pan you have full coverage.
Don’t bake the pie shell first if you’re making a Dutch Apple Pie, but if you want to make a pastry shell for a different dessert then bake it at 450°F for 12–15 minutes or until it’s a golden brown.
Combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and then cut in the butter with a pastry blender, two knives, a fork or just get in there with your hands and crumble it up. You don’t want it to be a paste though, so take it easy when you mix.
Put the peeled and sliced apples into the unbaked pie shell. Pinch a little salt and squeeze about a tablespoon of lemon on top.
Then pile on that crumb mixture on top, but don’t press it down too tight. Make sure there’s enough to generously cover everything.
Pour the cream cream evenly over the top of the crumble. You want it to seep down into the apple mixture.
Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes or until it looks and smells good. You want the apples to be soft and the top and inside to be gooey. It should have a creamy, rich taste and feel.
Reprinted with permission from The Vegan Mennonite Kitchen: Old Recipes For A Changing World by Joe Snyder, copyright © 2021. Published by Pandora Press.
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