PIE-A-DAY #21
When I first read the name of this pie, I thought it was something to bake for someone you fancy. (If your someone fancies apricots.) It turns out that this pie CONTAINS dates, but feel free to bake it for date night.
Apricot Date Pie comes from Rachel Kaganoff-Stern, who blogs at Inside the Kaganoff Kitchen. Read below for the recipe, and click here to enter YOUR delicious pie (or pies) in the 4th Annual Good Food Pie Contest on Saturday, September 8th at LACMA.
Apricot Date Pie
(From Rachel Kaganoff-Stern of Inside the Kaganoff Kitchen)
This is one of my grandmother’s recipes that she copied down for me on the back of a scrap of used wrapping paper (pink and orange birthday paper, to be exact). I kept that wrapping paper for more than twenty years before I finally typed the recipe into my computer. I guess I thought making the pie using that paper scrap was a way to stay connected to her. I have no idea where this recipe came from. She isn’t here anymore, or I’d ask her (miss you Grandma – think of you often, especially in the kitchen…).
Like me, my grandmother was always trying new recipes. She read the food section of the paper and she clipped the recipes off the back of food packages. I wouldn’t be surprised if this classic pie recipe came from the back of a 1960s package of dates.
I set out to make the pie recently and discovered that canned apricots are no longer ubiquitous. If you happen to “put up” your own canned fruit, this recipe would be a perfect way to use your home canned apricots. This pie is so good, I might have to “put up” some apricots this summer so just I can try it with my own apricots inside. Either way – store bought or home canned – this is a classic pie worth working back into your pie rotation.
Piecrust:
2 cups crushed graham crackers (see explanation below)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup melted butter
Pie Filling:
1 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons Tapioca (quick cook)
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 15-oz cans apricots packed in heavy syrup, drained and ½ cup of the syrup reserved
Pie Topping:
½ cup quick cook oats
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
⅓ cup flour
⅓ cup butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
My mom crushes her graham crackers by laying them out on a wooden board and pressing down on them with a rolling pin. I put mine in the Cuisinart and process them on “pulse.” Either way is fine.
In a medium bowl mix all of the piecrust ingredients together. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9 or 9 ½ inch pie pan. You need to have a firm hand for this task. Press the crumbs HARD against the side of the pie pan. If you don’t press hard the crust will fall apart when it bakes. Don’t be shy. Go for it. Place the piecrust in your preheated oven for five minutes. Remove and cool for five minutes. My older son wants me to just make the crust and serve it with chocolate. It’s not such a bad idea. I’ll get back to you on that…
Cut the apricots in half. Place the apricots and dates in the piecrust. You’ll want to distribute them so that they are evenly spread throughout the pie. In a medium bowl mix together the pie filling ingredients – sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, reserved apricot syrup, lemon rind and cinnamon. Once blended pour over the top of the apricots and dates.
In a separate bowl mix together the pie topping ingredients – oats, sugar, flour and melted butter. Spread over the top of the pie.
Bake for 15 minutes. Place a piece of foil loosely over the top and bake another 25-30 minutes until the pie is golden brown. Serve warm or cool and serve at room temperature.