Don't Worry about Ugly!

Northern Spies are awesome pie apples -- but are rarely found in grocery stores.  Only available just before the first frost (the end of October), they have a very short window to harvest.  Additionally, they are often not attractive; blemished, pitted and pale.  What they lack for in looks, they make up for in taste!

Even peeled, these fruits don't look that appetizing.  However, looks are not what counts when it comes to flavor and texture.  The thing about this strain of apple, is that it is sweet with a bit of tang, and the texture is perfect for pie.  Baking softens them up but doesn't turn them to mush.  They absorb the flavor of the seasonings but don't go bland.

Once in a crust, who cares what they look like?  And who cares that the crust is ugly?  This one was a real wrestling match -- not wanting to stay together, even though the ingredients were properly measured -- something that doesn't always happen in the often haphazard micro-kitchen.  The filling has the typical pie spices, plus a healthy splash of bourbon.

The crust, brushed with  egg white and dusted with brown sugar, is a little bit dark because whole wheat pastry flour was used.  It adds a slightly nutty dimension to the flavor, which also works because the pie filling contains walnuts and pecans.

Regardless of how ugly the ingredients and the end result were -- it didn't matter.  This pie rocked!