Apple Pie (part 2)

Have you ever noticed how, when you get interested in something, all of a sudden you see that something everywhere? I got interested in apples and all cooking shows, blogs, etc., seem to be bursting with apple recipes. Granted, ‘tis the season, but still...

So, one of these cooking shows, “Kelsey’s Essentials” (not one I watch religiously but that I enjoy when I catch it), had this easy apple and pear pie. I decided to make it today, using the McIntosh apples I bought last week.

The dough for this pie is a store-bought fillo dough, not one made from scratch. I feel like I’m cheating, but I was also curious to taste an apple pie with fillo dough. I never had that. And I can say the result was EXCELLENT!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 fillo dough sheet (there are two in the package), thawed.
• 2-3 apples, depending on the size
• 1-2 tbsp of butter, melted
• 2 tbsp of light brown sugar (dark brown or regular sugar can be used too)
• ½ tsp of cinnamon
• 2 tbsp of honey, warmed
  

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Preparation:

1. Cut your apples in small slices. Don’t worry if they are not perfect or if they break, you’ll need these little pieces. Sprinkle some lemon juice on them to prevent browning.
2. Preheat your oven at 400 degrees.
3. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface. Spread the sheet of fillo dough on it. Sprinkle some flour on top. Using your rolling pin, blend in the creases. 
4. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the dough onto the baking sheet.
5. With a fork, pierce the dough, forming a square ½ inch from the edge of the dough. Then, prick the dough throughout the inside of the square, like for a regular pie. This prevents the dough within the square from rising. The edges will rise, forming the crust of the pie. Make sure you prick in the corners of the square too.
6. Then, place your apple slices inside that square. Start at one corner and place them in a line towards the opposite corner on a diagonal. Repeat the process on each side until the whole square is filled. Use smaller pieces to fill in the spaces. Try and make it look as attractive as possible. Keep your slices tight and close to each other.
7. Brush the apples with the melted butter. Not too much! The original recipe called for 3 tbsp. I have leftover butter. So I reduced to 2 tbsp, but it’s still too much. You just need to wet the apples.
8. Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on the apples. It is up to you how much you want. Again, the original recipe called for much more than what I listed and I did not use it all. It does bring color to the pie but you don’t want the apple taste to be overwhelmed.
9. Put in the oven for 15 minutes.
10. Put the honey in a microwave safe bowl and warm for a few seconds. Brush the honey on the apples and edges and put in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
11. Let it cool on a cooling rack.
12. Serve with some mascarpone, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.