Sweet-Tart Sweetheart Apple-Cranberry Pie

Super late, I know, but I just can't resist posting a pie recipe for PI day!

So for the first time in years, I didn't bake a pie on PI day. I had a good reason though! Bill Nye The Science Guy came to town to speak and I was lucky enough to get tickets (they sold out in the first 6 hours of being listed)! It was awesome. He spoke to us not like children, even though he was primarily a children's entertainer (and engineer), but like people with power to change the world! It was really super inspiring, and I think a good reason for not having time to bake a pie.

So today I give you one of my old favourite pie recipes that I posted on my old blog a little over a year ago. Sweet-Tart Sweetheart Apple-Cranberry Pie.

The pie is sweet from the apples, the buttery crust, and the streusel topping, and it is balanced out with the addition of delicious tart cranberries. It is one of my favourite pies to make, eat and give! I've never met a person who hasn't loved this pie!

I like to make this pie in mini pie tins because it's cuter, and easier to give to someone. (It's also a good way to make sure you don't eat a whole big pie in one sitting!) 

Ingredients:

Base:
-1 batch of this pie dough recipe, with the zest of 1 lemon or orange and 2tsp cinnamon added in. Chilled.

Filling:
-2 cups fresh cranberries
-2 large apples (I like Gala for this), peeled and cut into small cubes
-2/3 cup sugar
-juice from half a lemon or orange (about 1 1/2 tbsp)
-1/2 cup AP flour

Topping:
-1/2 cup AP flour
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 tsp nutmeg
-1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

Roll out dough and fit into the pan of your choice. Trim excess, leaving about 3/4 inch hanging out. Turn the extra dough underneath itself to create an upstanding rim. Chill in fridge until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Put all ingredients for the filling into a bowl and let chill out in the fridge for half an hour.Pour the filling into the chilled pie shell(s) and bake in center of preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine first 4 topping ingredients. Cut in butter and rub together until the mixture is the consistency of coarse sand. Chill until ready to use.

Remove pie from oven. Turn down temp to 375*F. Sprinkle topping onto pie and press down gently. Return the pie to the oven, rotating so that the side that faced the back of the oven now faces the front. Bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the filling bubbles thickly around the edges.
Transfer pie to wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour.

Adapted from Ken Haedrich's Pie.