Lunch: Crunch Top Apple Pie

A classic homemade American dessert that your friends and family will love.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Lemon, Apples

Health benefits of Crunch Top Apple Pie

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Lemons can help to prevent oxidative damage to the body, which women with PCOS are often susceptible to. Lemons are also rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, and other antioxidants. They can potentially support the immune system and have other health benefits. Lemons also have a low glycemic index, so they should not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar when consumed in natural form. Apples will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full)

Ingredients

3/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 1/2 cups plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 1/2 cups cooking apples, peeled and chopped
1 (16 oz) jar applesauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
15 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons chopped into small pieces, 1 tablespoon at room temperature and 12 cold and cubed
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus a dash, divided
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water, (u

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt and 3 tablespoons sugar. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it with the flour. Add 12 tablespoons of cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball. When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.
Yield: 2 (9-inch) pie crusts
Preheat oven to 425 °.
Line a 9-inch pie pan with half of dough. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, cinnamon, and a dash of salt in a bowl. Stir in the apples, applesauce, and lemon juice. Spoon the apple mixture into pie pan and dot with 2 tablespoons butter chopped into small pieces. Cut remaining crust into strips; arrange in a lattice design over top of pie.