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FeedSep 10, 201211:03 AMFood & Dining
Tasty Tidbits and Food For Thought
A "Healthier" Apple Pie
I was born an adventurous eater.
I enjoy any type of taste sensation from sweet to savory and everything in between. I am also a fanatic for exotic flavors out of the norm and love an array of new and exciting textures in every bite.
And if that wasn't enough, I've been blessed with a cast iron stomach where I am not intolerent of anything but going hungry. Throw that in a bowl, mix thoroughly, and outside of rice pudding, which has never gotten past my gag reflex in 50 years, I'll eat (AND ENJOY!) just about anything.
And I do mean anything.
I also have a hell of an appetite. Unfortunately, in terms of health, that approach left unchecked can be a recipe for disaster.
I'm a sucker for those cooking and food shows strewn across the Travel Channel and the Food Network. I marvel at the cooking creativity and prowess on shows such "Chopped" and "Iron Chef", and am thoroughly entertained by the exploits and eagerness of the hosts of "Bizarre Foods" and "No Reservations" to chomp down on every critter, plant or shrub they cross paths with.
And each time I watch the host of "Man vs. Food" kick back another high-caloric fat-fest, I can't help but wonder, "Gee, I bet his cholesterol is astronomical" or "He's a diabetic in the making". Those thoughts would have never crossed my mind twenty years ago, but now, they are in the forefront of my daily thinking.
I am on a constant journey to blend my joy of eating with a healthier lifestyle. What I do is try to cut a lot of the bad guys out of my favorite recipes, while keeping the essence of flavor in my favorite dishes.
As the holiday season approached at the end of last year, I had a hankering for my all-time favorite dessert - apple pie. I whipped up a couple to enjoy and replaced just enough of those villian ingredients with a couple of heros, and managed to maintain the integrity of its deliciousness.
So whether, you merely want to shave off a few calories, carbs or watch your sugar intake, I hope you enjoy my "healthier" apple pie as much as I do!
Ingredients:
3 Granny Smith apples
3 Braeburn apples
1/2 cup - Spenda Granular
1/4 cup - Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
3/4 teaspoon - ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon - freshly-grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon - all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon - sea salt
2 tablespoons - freshly-squeezed lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons - light butter cut into small pieces
2 pre-made pie crusts (for we folks short on time!)
Preheat oven to 475. In a large bowl, combine Splenda Granular, Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and salt.
Peel and slice apples into thin wedges and add them to the bowl; toss to combine.
Drizzle lemon juice over the mixture and again, toss to combine the ingredients.
When finished, spoon the apple filling into the bottom pie crust, being sure it's highest in the center.
Distribute light butter pieces evenly over the mixture and cover with top pie crust.
Press edges of pie crust with a fork to seal and cut four or five slits in the top pie crust.
This will allow steam to escape while cooking.
Bake 50-55 minutes until the crust has browned and juices are bubbling.
Let cool before serving.
