Here’s the thing… I love pie. Love, love, love it! But at Passover, when leavening is not an option, making a tasty pie crust becomes much more difficult. This recipe evolved out of my need for a Passover pie substitute (because let’s face it– it’s really, really hard to get through an entire week without pie). I did away with the crust entirely and instead relied on matzo cracker crumbs to hold the filling together. The result is something between an apple crumble, a pan dowdy and a pie. Whatever you want to call it, it’s delicious!
Bake this Passover dessert in an old-fashioned pie dish, and nobody will complain about the missing crust… the flavor is very similar to a nutty apple pie. The candied pecans add a crunchy sweet topping to this decadent Passover treat. Serve ala mode for extra deliciousness.
For step-by-step photos of this recipe, click here.
Passover Apple Pecan Pie
By Tori Avey, The Shiksa in the Kitchen
Ingredients
5 ripe granny smith apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup white sugar
5 tbsp brown sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 lemon, juiced
3 egg matzos, crushed into large crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
Nonstick cooking oil spray
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
You will also need: deep 9” pie dish, colander
Total Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Serves: 10
Kosher Key: Dairy or Pareve, Kosher for Passover
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter or butter substitute. Add applesauce, white sugar, 2 tbsp brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and lemon juice. Stir till well combined, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add diced apples to pan. Stir apples till they are well coated with sugar mixture. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for exactly 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook. Uncover apples at the end of cooking and remove from heat; allow to cool.
Meanwhile, place crushed matzos into a large mixing bowl and cover with water. Let matzos soak for 1 ½ minutes (no longer), then drain in a colander. Gently squeeze the matzo crumbs in the colander to remove excess moisture.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the salt. Add eggs to the matzo and stir till well combined.
Pour cooled apples and sugary syrup from the pan into the mixing bowl with the matzos. Stir till combined. Reserve the pan.
Spray a deep pie dish generously with cooking oil spray. Pour the apple mixture into the pie dish.
In the same saucepan you used to cook the apples, melt 2 tbsp butter or margarine, then stir in 3 tbsp brown sugar and mix to form a thick syrup. Stir chopped pecans in the syrup till they are well coated. Remove pan from heat. Sprinkle candied pecans evenly over the top of the apple pie.
Bake pie for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and pie is cooked through. Serve warm.
Passover Note: If you're making this dish for Passover and you're keeping strictly kosher, make sure your packaged products are certified Kosher for Passover.
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