Okblues Designs Blog

jburkhart posted a pie quiz on her blog a few days ago & there were so many tasty pies discussed, it spurred me to dig through my pie recipes.

Apple pie is always a favorite in our family. This particular apple pie is absolutely delicious! The recipe for Southern Ambrosia Apple Pie is by Linda Hunter of Drummond, Oklahoma. Our electric cooperative organized a benefit bake-off last year to raise funds for the JD McCarty Center for Children with developemental disabilities. This was the grand prize winner and after baking it, I can see why. It was published in the Oklahoma Living magazine for cooperative members. They no longer have it online in their archives, so I will put it here for those interested.

Southern Ambrosia Apple Pie

1 pastry shell, 9"

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup apple juice

2 T butter or margarine

2 T cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

4 cups thinly sliced, peeled baking apples

2 tsp lemon juice

1 egg

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup flaked coconut

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line pastry shell with foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil and cool. In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring sugar, apple juice, butter, cornstarch and salt to a boil. stir in apples and lemon juice; cook and stir until apples are crisp-tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour into pastry shell. In a smal bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, coconut, vanilla and cinnamon; mix well. Pour over apple mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

Pecan Cream Topping

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

Whole pecans, toasted

For topping, beat cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over cooled pie. Garnish with toasted whole pecans by making a row of pecans about 1 1/2 inches from crust and placing one in center. Chill 4 to 6 hours.

My notes: I find it better in a 10" deep dish pastry shell. And we seldom get to let it chill for 4 to 6 hours. Hubby prefers it at room temperature.