Sugar-Free Apple Cream Pie

My friend Shiela celebrated her birthday this week, and I gave her a choice: cake, or Apple Cream Pie? "Apple Cream Pie!" she responded without hesitation. Then came the bonus challenge: Shiela just had open-heart surgery; her niece Elise was firm - "NO added sugar!" No added sugar? Oof.

Fortunately, upon reflection, I remembered that I had a bag of xylitol on hand. Now, I have mixed feelings about xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol extracted from wood, corn husks, and other plants. In some ways, it's like a miracle; it has 40% fewer calories than sugar, and something about its structure makes it great for diabetics. It actually helps prevent tooth-decay (that's why you find it in so many sugar-free gums) and preliminary reports show that it may have a large number of other positive side effects, from preventing infection to helping prevent osteoporosis. It tastes and measures just like sugar, and makes a great substitute in many cooking situations. It doesn't behave just like sugar in all applications - it really wants to recrystallize in a big way! But pie is a place where it - and its relative erythritol - shine.  My friend can't have any added sugar... so I used it. The results were delicious; equal to using sugar. If you need to do some sugar-free cooking, this is a recipe that it works on.

Updates: October, 2012 - It has now been a couple of years since I invented this recipe, and I have a LOT more experience baking the sugar-free way. It being apple season, I decided to make this super-delicious pie using my new-found knowledge.  Oh, baby. That pie didn't last two days - and there are only three of us in the house. And only two of us ate it. Sorry, Joel! Here is the updated recipe.

A caution: Pets should not be allowed to eat xylitol or erythritol, as these ingredients can cause them harm.

Apple Cream Pie

adapted from Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish


Ingredients:

1 pie crust (click here for the Foodier Than Thou recipe)

¾ cups xylitol (available in grocery stores in the baking aisle)

OR: 6 TB erythritol + 3 1/2 TB xylitol + 6 tiny scoops stevia powder

3 TB flour
½ tsp salt
6 Granny Smith or other baking apples, peeled, cored, cut in eighths
2 TB lemon juice, as needed (if the apples need contrast)
1 cup heavy cream
1 TB sugar to garnish the top.

1. Combine the 3/4 cups xylitol, flour, and salt and mix well

2. Line pie pan with crust. Sprinkle bottom with 3 TB of sweetener/flour mixture, press gently into crust w/palm of hand.

3. If apples need tartness, toss them with the lemon juice.

4. Arrange apples on top of the pie crust and sprinkle with remainder of sugar mixture

5. Dust very liberally with cinnamon.

6. Pour cream over all

7. Sprinkle w/ 1 TB of sugar (optional - but don't use xylitol or erythritol - they don't melt)



Bake at 450 F for 12 minutes, then lower temp to 350, bake about 1 hour, or until apples are done. The cream will be a little runny when you take the pie out of the oven; it will thicken as it cools.