L’SHANA TOVA PIE

L’SHANA TOVA PIE

Each month of the year has its smattering of important holidays or commemorative events.  In September, the Jewish faith celebrates two:  Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year), and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement).  Now, before we move forward on this post:  NO!  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE JEWISH TO MAKE OR CONSUME THIS PIE!

That being said, please understand that I’m not going to offer some Rabbinic commentary or explanation of these holidays, the Jewish faith, or any of the idiosyncrasies of the culture and traditions.  Well….much.  What I WILL say is this:  A wonderful tradition around Rosh Hashanah holiday is the eating of apple slices in honey, which is done to symbolize wishes for “A Sweet New Year!”  Well, naturally, that got me thinking:  New Year = New PIE!

Fortunately, for my Jewish friends, Rosh Hashanah is the holiday of the two where you get to FEAST.  Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, requires you (if you’re able for multiple reasons) to fast for the day.  The “Breaking of the Fast” at the end of the day is cause for feasting, too,  so you could certainly enjoy this delicious pie then as well. 

As I said before, NO!  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE JEWISH TO MAKE OR CONSUME THIS PIE!  In fact, it’s a pretty amazing little pie that’s also perfect for fall as the seasons and leave change, the air gets a little crisper, and the delicious tastes of autumn come back to visit.  This pie has a great conglomerate of orchard fresh apples, sugar, spices, and a rich, yet delicate base of cream cheese.  It’s a great addition to a fall meal of a hearty soup, served with some hot, crusty bread, and maybe even a cold glass of apple cider. 

Whether you’re enjoying this as a wonderful addition to High Holy Days menu, or as an additional new fall favorite, it’s pretty amazing!  To my Jewish friends “L’SHANA TOVA!” (Happy New Year), and to everyone Welcome to Autumn!!

L’SHANA TOVA PIE:

For Apple Filling:  (**NOTE:  This Needs to Be Made 24 Hours in Advance of Using With This Pie!**)

·         4 Large Red Delicious Apples, Sliced & Chopped

·         2 Tbs. of Honey

·         1 ½ Cups Pecans, Chopped

·         1 ½ Cups of Dried Currants

·         1 Cup of Chopped Dates

·         1 Cup of Dark Brown Sugar

·         1 Tbs. Cinnamon

·         1 tsp. Cloves

·         1 tsp. Allspice

·         1 tsp. Nutmeg

·         1 Bottle Blackberry Kosher Wine (Manischewitz Brand is perfect)

DIRECTIONS:

Core, slice, and chop your 4 apples.  Place your apple pieces into a large mixing bowl, and cover with half the bottle of blackberry wine.  Stir your apples, covering with wine with your spoon as you add them.  Add all of your dry ingredients – pecans, currants, and dates – and mix together.  In a separate bowl, combine your brown sugar and spices.  Add the spiced sugar mix to the apples, and stir until well blended.  Add any remaining wine until well covered.  With a large spoon, press mixture down until nearly all the mixture is covered and level.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight, or at least 6-8 hours.

For Cream Cheese Filling:

·         1 8oz. Brick of Cream Cheese, Softened

·         1/3 Cup Sugar

·         1 Egg

·         1 tsp. Vanilla (or spiced wine mixture from apples)

DIRECTIONS:

In a mixing bowl, blend the softened cream cheese and the sugar, beating until fluffy.  Add the egg and the vanilla (or spiced wine mixture), mix completely.

PIE CREATION DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare a 9-inch pie crust in advance.  With a strainer, strain your spiced apple mixture, reserving the liquid.  Measure out 2 Cups worth of the spiced apple mixture, and add to the cream cheese.  Mix well, blending the spiced apples into the cream cheese.  Pour all into your pie shell.

Bake pie in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.  Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for another 50 – 60 minutes until filling is no longer jiggly, and set completely.

You may wish to use a pie shield, or cover the crust edge during baking, removing it for the last 10 minutes to ensure avoiding burning.

Allow pie to cool completely for at least 2 hours before serving.  This can be garnished with whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon before serving.