If you didn't realize it by now, we're in peak pie season! For our next guest though, pie season never ends!
Olympia's Taylor Harbin is the author of the new cookbook "Pie All the Time." She showed us a tasty recipe for a mulling spice apple rye pandowdy. What's a pandowdy? You're about to find out!
Mulling Spice Apple Rye Pandowdy
The aroma of this pie alone is enough to send droves of neighbors pounding down your door demanding to know what's in the oven. The flavors are reminiscent of heady spices and sweet mulled cider on a crisp fall day, citrusy and rich hot toddies, and a classic apple pie. My parents have a mini apple orchard in their backyard, and there's nothing I love more than heading down the hill to pluck a few for the first harvest when fall rolls around. This recipe has become a favorite, as it really lets the apples take center stage. I like to think of a pandowdy as the pie version of a cobbler. There's lots of luscious filling and a crispy pie top, often in bits and pieces rather than a single lid. No bottoms, just the top, like Winnie-the-Pooh.
YIELD: Makes 1 (10-inch [25-cm]) pandowdy
INGREDIENTS:
• 1/2 recipe Rye Dough, patted into a disc
• 3 lbs (1.4 kg) apples, about 8-9, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) slices (I like a mix of Gala and Granny Smith)
• 2 cups (160 g) light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp (24 g) all-purpose flour
• Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) rye whiskey (see tip)
• Big pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger tsp ground cloves
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Demerara sugar
• Honey Whipped Cream or ice cream, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a well-floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/4- to 1/2-inch (6- to 3-mm) thickness. Use a small cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut out small shapes and lay them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the fridge while you make the filling.
- In a large bowl, stir to combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, orange zest, whiskey, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Pour the mixture into a 10-inch (25-cm) cast-iron or ovenproof skillet. It will look like too many apples, but they'll cook down quite a bit. Use your hands to jigsaw them into even layers and make the top a fairly flat layer, as this will make it easier to place the dough pieces on top. Pull the baking sheet out of the fridge and arrange the dough pieces in a haphazard pattern, shingling the bits of dough so they overlap a bit on the top of the apple filling. Be sure the filling is covered. Brush the dough with the beaten egg, and sprinkle it with the demerara sugar.
- Place the skillet on the prepared baking sheet, and bake the pandowdy for 50 to 55 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown. Cool the pandowdy completely before serving it with the Honey Whipped Cream or ice cream.
HOT TIP: If you can't find rye whiskey but you have a favorite whiskey or bourbon around, feel free to use that instead.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
From cozy classics to new twists on holiday favorites, it's always time for pie.
Whether you’re craving a comforting favorite or an exciting new flavor, a celebratory indulgence or a quick treat, the answer is always pie―and this collection is your ultimate guide. Taylor Harbin, creator of the blog All Purpose Flour Child, shares an outstanding variety of recipes that guarantee pie perfection, from no-fuss crowd-pleasers to achievable masterpieces.
Taylor’s easy method produces a crisp, flaky crust every time, and her simple, unique fillings are as effortless as they are delicious. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned baker, Taylor’s fun, approachable directions, flavored crusts, and creative combinations are sure to have you rushing to roll out your dough.
You'll find traditional pies, like wild Blackberry Birthday Pie and Papa’s Golden Pecan Pie, and familiar classics reimagined into pie form, like Beef Bourguignon Skillet Pie and Mocha Coconut Cream Pie. You'll also discover unique and inventive flavors, like Aperol Citrus Creamsicle Pie, Roasted Cherry Tomato Bloody Mary Galette, and Swedish Cardamom Roll Hand Pies, that will show you just how versatile pie can be.
Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.