Red Pepper Jelly Apple Pie

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This week on the Dish It Girl Podcast, I sat down with my friend Tasha Calvert to chat about her new book, Set Apart. We laughed about my last visit to her home in Texas—where she insisted she “wasn’t a cook” even as she served me the most unforgettable Red Pepper Jelly and Apple Pie. I’ve thought about that pie for years! So in honor of her episode, I set out to recreate it and finally write a recipe, since she admitted she never actually had one.

I’m not an amazing baker—I have very little patience. As I tried to crimp the edges of the pie and make it look pretty, my tension rose, and I finally just popped it in the oven, perfection nowhere in sight. But as I turned to clean up, I smiled. That’s exactly how Tasha would want it.

Her quiet act of hospitality stayed with me. What she thought was something small became a memory we’d come back to years later. It reminded me how important it is not to dismiss what we have to offer. The same is true in our faith—Jesus isn’t looking for perfection, but for hearts willing to go deeper.

Tune into my conversation with Tasha for more practical encouragement—and the final recipe for this imperfectly perfect pie!

Listen to the podcast here:  https://lnk.to/dishitgirl

Red Pepper Jelly Apple Pie

ingredients

·       1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

·       ½ tbsp sugar

·       1 teaspoon kosher salt

·       1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

·       1¼ cups grated sharp cheddar

·       3 to 4 tablespoons ice cold water

·       1 egg yolk for egg wash

filling

·       8 apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced

·       2 tablespoons brown sugar

·       1 tablespoon cornstarch

·       1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

·       3/4 cup hot pepper jelly

·      1 tablespoon lemon juice

instructions

Pie Crust

1.  In the bowl of your food processor add the flour, sugar, salt, butter and cheddar. With the lid on, pulse until large crumbles form.

2.   With the processor running, add in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dough starts to come together.

3.   Form the dough into a round disc and wrap in plastic or place into a quart-size re-sealable bag.  Chill dough in the fridge for about an hour.

4.    When ready to use place on a floured surface.

Instructions for the Filling/Assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Prepare a pie plate by buttering it and then taking about 1/2 tablespoon of flour sprinkling it around the bottom of the pie plate.

3.     In a medium sized bowl add the apples

4.     Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a small bowl; stir into the fruit. Put the hot pepper jelly in a glass measuring cup. Warm it in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to loosen it up, then stir it into the fruit with the lemon juice.

5.     Prepare to roll out the dough. Sprinkle some flour down on a flat surface and put some flour on your rolling pin as well. This helps keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and surface.

1. Take about 1/3 of the dough and set aside. Then roll out the larger part of the dough into a flat, thin circle.

2. Place the dough over the pie plate so that it overflows the borders. Add the filling making sure you fill up the pie plate evenly.

3. If there is a lot of dough overflow use a sharp knife to cut away the extra dough. You can use that extra dough to roll out again and make strips to put over the top of the pie. Crimp the edges and prick the the surface with a fork. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes and then take it back out.

4. Add the apple and red pepper jelly mixture into the prepared pie plate, spread in an even layer.

5.  Roll out your extra dough into a circle large enough to place over the top of the pie. Place over top of the pie plate, cutting away excess, placing two slits in the middle for air to escape.

6. Take the egg yolk and beat it for the egg wash. Brush the egg yolk over the top of the pie.

7. Before putting it in the oven cover the edges of the pie with foil. The edges tend to cook quick than the rest of the pie and it burns.

8. After about 25 minutes into baking remove the foil. Drop the oven temperature to 375 degrees, Let the edges bake the rest of time. Another 15-20 minutes more.

9. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before serving (about 2 hours).

RECIPE NOTES:

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