Page 141 - Pie It Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes, and Other Pastries Reinvented

2
. Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the apple
mixtureand sauté for 5 minutes. Add the cream and vanilla bean

paste and continue to cook the apples, stirring often, until the juices
thicken and the apples are just tender. Make sure not to overcook
the apples or they will become mushy. Transfer the cooked apples
to a large bowl and set them aside to cool completely.

Assembly
1
. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Sprinkle the Crust Dust in an
even layer on the bottom of the piecrust. Spoon the filling into the

crust and top it with the hearts, placing them along the outer edge
first, with the pointy ends facing inward (make sure the outer edge
of the heart slightly overlaps the edge of the bottom crust—this
takes about ten hearts). Create an inner, overlapping circle of
hearts, using five more hearts, and place the last heart in the

middle. The hearts should all overlap in such a way that you cannot
see the filling.
2
. Brush the egg wash over the top crust and sprinkle with sanding or

turbinado sugar.
3

. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the top and
bottom crusts are golden brown.

A NOTE FROM THE SWEETIE PIE

Selecting the correct apple for baking is crucial to your pie
endeavors. The quality of a great baking apple is, first and

foremost, taste. An apple that is sweet but possesses a pleasant
amount of tart is best. Granny Smiths are the most commonly
found baking apple; they are always available in large quantity,
but they’re often lacking in real apple flavor, and they are rarely as
fresh as is best for apple pies, tarts, and galettes. The other
qualities to look out for in apples are crispness and the ability to
hold up to heat. The last thing anyone wants when cutting into a