Dairy-Free/Vegan Apple Pie
Crust
4 c flour
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c vegetable shortening
2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 - 3/4 c cold water
Filling
6 large apples, peeled & sliced
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c white sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon/apple pie spice
2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
To make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix together flour and salt; cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Gradually add vinegar and water, 1 Tbsp at a time until mixture will hold together. Divide dough into 2, pressing each half into a ball/disc lightly floured on each side, then wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. Roll out between wax paper into circles 1/8 inch thick and press 1 crust into 9 inch pie pan.
Mix apples, sugar, flour and cinnamon or apple pie spice together. Sprinkle lemon juice and melted coconut oil over the top. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust and top with other crust (make sure to use a pie bird or cut vent slits into the top crust, or if you are feeling artistic go ahead and whip up a lattice top). If desired, brush an egg wash over the top of your pie. Bake in 350F preheated oven until the top is golden brown (about 40 min).
If you need to prep your pie in advance, there are a suggestions you can follow to avoid a soggy bottom. First, just wait to fill your pie until you are ready to bake. This is super simple, but may not really save you much time if you are doing an elaborate top crust. Your other options are to either blind bake the bottom crust or freeze the completed/unbaked pie (if using a glass or ceramic pie dish, make sure you let it defrost on a counter for at least 30 minutes to an hour before placing into the oven, and add another 20-30 minutes baking time).
Some other tips & tricks I've discovered when it comes to prepping in advance involve creating a barrier between your crust and wet filling (typically fruit pies), such as brushing some egg wash or shortening over the crust to create a fat layer between the crust and filling. I've also read that preheating a sheet with the oven and baking your pie on that helps with a crisp bottom crust (it also helps catch and spillage, which does happen with fruit pies, so why not?).
The other dessert we made was white chocolate mousse! I am still working on perfecting that recipe (we brought attempt #2, which was delicious and the texture was *almost* there, but it still needs a little bit of work). You can expect to see that recipe posted once I am done adjusting it.
