Take your favorite apple pie recipe and give it a quick make-over with these easy and delicious additions to dress up apple pie. (Try my favorite Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Recipe to play with if you don't already have your own.)
1. Bourbon, Rum, Brandy, or Calvados
Sprinkle the apple mixture with 2 Tbsp. of your favorite brown liquor for a deeper pie flavor. Calvados and Applejack - both made from fermented apples - are particularly good.2. Cardamom
Give your apple pie a Scandinavian twist by using ground cardamom instead of cinnamon.3. Chopped Nuts
Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chopped nuts - walnuts and pecans are particularly delicious - to your favorite apple pie recipe.4. Cranberries
Throw in 1 cup of cranberries and an additional 1/4 cup sugar to a little kick and color.5. Ginger
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp. ground ginger, or 1 Tbsp. minced crystallized or candied ginger add a nice kick to this homey dessert.6. Heavy Cream
Make that apple pie Dutch by cutting a large vent in the top crust before you pop it in the oven. About half-way through the baking time, pour 1/2 cup heavy cream through the vent and continue baking pie as directed.7. Pears
Substitute half the apples in a recipe with pears. Increase the thickening agent (flour, cornstarch, or instant tapioca) by about a third to handle pears' juicy nature.8. Raisins or Currants
Add 1/2 cup raisins or currants - or other chopped dried fruit - for a twist on traditional apple pie flavor.
