Cinnamon Swirl Apple Pie

Apples and cinnamon.  Can it get any better?  Especially on Pi Day?  I’ve wanted to make this particular pie for a while now.

A couple years ago, my mother in law and I made one of these together,

but it was one of those things where we got to their house at 11 at night the

evening before Thanksgiving.  My mother in law had made the following

already and we completed the crust in a sleep-deprived state.

In other words, I wanted to make one from start to finish, without the lack of sleep!

Making this crust is an intensive progress.  After a regular pie crust is made, it needs to be sliced into teeny tiny cinnamon rolls, which are then pressed by hand in order to make a full crust.  One other limitation is that it can be challenging to scoop the pie for serving, because of those little swirls in the bottom crust.

However, the resulting pie is well worth the effort. 

The punch of cinnamon goes up to the next level and it is so tasty!

More Recipes for Pi(e) Day

• Chocolate S'mores Pie by The Redhead Baker
• Cinnamon Swirl Apple Pie by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Sweet Potato Pecan Pie by West Via Midwest
• Carrot Tart by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Banana Meringue Pie by Cheese Curd in Paradise
• Rhubarb Custard Pie by Hostess at Heart
• Irish Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust & Whiskey Caramel by The Spiffy Cookie
• Creamsicle Meringue Pie by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Lime Avocado Coconut Pie by Savory Moments
• Lattice Top Strawberry Pie by Magical Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Inspired by Twisted Food

Crust

1 teaspoons salt

2 cups all purpose flour

¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

4-6 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons melted butter

2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Filling

8 cups tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon spiced rum

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter, cut in chunks

Egg wash

1 egg

1 teaspoon water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium sized bowl.

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter pieces into the flour until it forms pea sized crumbles.

Beginning with 4 tablespoons of water, sprinkle the water over the flour and butter mixture and lightly mix until it forms a ball.  Add additional water as necessary.

Split the dough into two equal pieces.  Lightly flour a surface and roll each piece of dough into a 12-inch round.    Spread the melted butter over each dough round, followed by an even layer of cinnamon.  Roll each dough round tightly, then refrigerate while the filling is mixed.

To make the filling, mix together the apples, sugars, flour, cinnamon, and rum.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and use a sharp knife to cut the dough into ¼-inch pieces.  Place dough pieces into a 9-inch pie plate.  Use fingers to press dough pieces flat, taking care to make sure there are no gaps as more dough is added.  Gradually, work the dough pieces up the sides of the pie plate.

Once the bottoms and sides of the pie plate are covered, add the apple mixture.  Add the butter pieces to the top of the filling.

Take the remaining crust pieces and press them together to make a top crust.  Carefully pick up the crust and place it on top of the filling (my pieces were a little over-floured and didn’t stick well, so Hubs helped and we transferred the top crust together.)  Crimp the top and bottoms crusts together.

Whisk together the egg and water to make an egg wash.  Brush the egg wash all over the top of the pie.

Place the pie into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue baking for another 40-50 minutes or until the crust is browned and the filling is cooked and bubbly.  Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack.  Cool completely before slicing and enjoying.