Mile High Apple Pie with Cranberries - Pink Saturday

This is a wonderfully rosy pink pie that's perfect for the fall season. It can be made at other times of year without the cranberries. The apples in the pie will retain their shape as they bake, but they will be reduced in volume and there will be a void between the apples and the crust. If you prefer softer apples or don't care for the hollow, I urge you to partially cook them before they're placed in the pastry shell. I use Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples to make the pie because they retain their shape and are not overly sweet. When I make the pie without cranberries I cut way back on the amount of sugar used in the filling, so the measurement for sugar that is shown in the recipe is variable. We serve this warm with really good vanilla ice cream. Here's the recipe.

Mile High Apple Pie with Cranberries...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
8 cups apples, pared, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
1 to 2 cups cranberries (optional)
1/3 to 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
Pastry for a 2 crust pie
Glaze:
1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Place apples and cranberries(if using) in a large bowl. Mix sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl to combine. Sprinkle mixture over apples and let sit until juices begin to form, about 15 minutes.
3) While apples rest, roll half of pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate with 1/2-inch overhang. Roll remaining dough to form top crust for pie, folding into quarters.
4) Pile apple mixture into pastry. Dot with butter. Moisten edge of pastry with water. Place folded pastry on apples with point in the center. Unfold. Press edges together to seal. Flute. Make several holes or slits in crust to allow steam to escape.
5) Mix yolk with milk and brush top of pastry with mixture. Bake pie for 1 hour, or until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling through slits. If crust browns too rapidly, cover with foil. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This post is being linked to Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.