Photograph by Iaian Bagwell
From Stacey Eames, Highland Bakery
Ingredients
For pie crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup freshly milled whole-wheat flour
1 stick chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 to 4 tablespoons cold water
For apple filling:
2 pounds apples (preferably Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and finely sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup walnuts
Instructions
To prepare crust:
In a bowl, blend together flours, butter, sugar, and salt with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with roughly pea-sized butter lumps. Add egg yolk and cold water, one tablespoon at a time, just until moist clumps form. (Do not overwork or dough will be tough.) Roll the dough into a circle, cover, and chill for approximately 45 minutes.
To prepare filling:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roast the walnuts in the oven for 7 minutes, then chop the walnuts into fine pieces. Melt butter in a medium saucepan and add the apples, stirring until apples are light brown. Add brown sugar and nutmeg. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes, until apples reduce to a chunky puree. Add walnuts and remove from burner.
To assemble:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out dough into a 14-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Be sure the crust is big enough, allowing room to fold in the edges. Place the circular dough on a greased baking sheet. Place apples in the center of the dough, keeping apples about 5 inches from the edge to allow room for folding. Fold in the edges like the pleats of a pie crust, and leave a 4-inch center exposing the apple mixture. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
