Apple Pie with Cashew Pecan Shortbread Crust

With the shortbread crust, this apple pie has a more rustic look than your traditionally formed pie crust, and the apple filling has a very fresh apple flavor.

This recipe is adapted an old photocopied recipe from my friend Alyssa labeled ‘Sugarless’ Apple Pie, with the only credit being ‘Empire Magazine.’  I am sorry that I can't properly cite it, but if anyone tracks down the magazine, please let me know…I want more recipes like this one!  The crust is purely my creation.

The recipe states to use red delicious apples, "because of their sweetness."  Even though it is not typically a baking apple, or even considered a yummy sweet apple, I usually use red delicious, and it has always turned out perfectly, so I trust them on that!  Consistency is perfect! I have also tried it with a marvelously delicious baking apple from the home I grew up in. Of course that was the yummiest!  

Crust:
1 1/2 cups whole white wheat flour
2 T pecans, finely chopped

2 T cashews, finely chopped 

1/2 cup butter, softened (can use less or substitute with some water, but play around with consistency)

6 medium, Red Delicious apples, peeled and sliced (about 6 cups sliced apples)

1 can (12 oz) frozen apple juice concentrate with no sugar added, thawed

1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

pinch cinnamon (1/16 of a teaspoon?)
1 T vanilla

3 tablespoons butter (optional)

Mix all crust ingredients, press into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake pie at 350 for 5 minutes.  Crust should be slightly underdone.  Cool.

Place apples and undiluted apple juice concentrate in a large pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, about five minutes.  Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of water.  Gently stir.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 to15 minutes or until apples begin to soften and mixture is thickened.  Gently stir in cinnamon and vanilla.  Fill crust with apples.  Dot butter on top of apple mixture.   

Bake in oven preheated to 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cook with a cookie sheet under in case the pie spills over during cooking.