Apple Florentine

Title:
Apple Florentine

Yield:
8 Servings

Categories:
Pies




Ingredients:





     6    Large apples


   1/2 c  Sugar


     2 ts Grated lemon rind


     1    Egg yolk for glazing


     2 c  Ale


   1/2 ts Powdered nutmeg


     1    Stick of cinnamon


     2    Cloves






 Peel and core the apples.  Put close together in a deep 10 inch pie dish


 and sprinkle with six tablespoons sugar mixed with the lemon rind. Pour in


 3 tablespoons water.  Roll out pastry 1/4" thick and cover apples. Make a
1


 inch wide hole in the center of the pastry and put a small collar of pastry


 around it, wetting it slightly with cold water to join. Brush pie with egg


 yolk beaten with 2 teaspoons cold water. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for


 30-35 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the ale, remaining sugar, and spices slowly


 to the boiling point, but do not boil; let spices steep in hot ale. When


 apple pie is done, pour hot ale into center hold through a funnel and serve


 immediately. Note: Whole apples go into the deep-dish pie that warms many


 an Englishman, especially in Bedfordshire, at Christmas. As the name


 suggests, Apple Florentine has Italian origins, though the Resaissance pope


 for whom it was occasionally prepared never knew the special savor of


 well-spiced ale that English cooks consder an indispensible part of the


 recipe.


 


 From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini