Twinkle's Kitchen | Apple Pie 2.0

Almost everyone asks about the pie. The “Oprah” pie. It’s tale is twisted and one of intrigue. But really it is about a delicious apple pie that I made about ten years ago that became famous, thanks to many friends and a few celebrities.

My family always complains that they’ve never had this pie, and honestly, after you’ve had to make 300 or 400 of them, it’s not something you want to leisurely bake on a free sunny afternoon.

But it’s definitely worth it. And now that time has passed, I’ve come to love it again, and for what the pie gave back to me. That’s funny to say about a pie, but it’s true. It was a huge building block in my life as a pastry chef, not to mention it’s also just an awesome pie.

Recipe submitted by a fan of the Original Twinkle Apple Ruffle Tart (pretty accurate)

And anyone can make this pie, now that I’ve tweaked it. The original recipe is definitely not easy. The recipe would have to start off, “One actual bakery to prepare it in.”  Not really, but having an industrial slicer to get the right thinness to the apples, as well as all the tools a bakery has on hand – including helpers – made it a lot easier to prepare.

The apples themselves were thinly sliced, almost like tissue paper. Once sliced, you roll each one up into small rosette until the piecrust has been filled.

The filling, a decadent mixture of honey, cream and spices brushed delicately over the rosettes, cooks down, creating a moist richness filled with apple goodness.

That was 10 years ago, and I’m certain this pie needed an upgrade. Work smarter, not harder are words I live by. Now this apple tart can be prepped, baked and devoured in less than two hours. It can still be a lot of fun, without all the hard work.

Twinkle’s Apple Ruffle Tart 2.0
sans ruffles

• 3 Granny Smith apples, peel on
• 1 Twinkle’s perfect pie crust recipe
• 10” tart pan

Filling:

• 2 tbs. ground ginger
• 1 tbs. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. clove
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tbs. ground cardamom pods
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ brown sugar
• 2 tbs. flour
• 1 tbs. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare your pie crust and chill until you are ready to lay in the fruit and filling.

Rinse your apples, and slice into very thin half moons. Set aside.

For the filling, use a medium sized bowl and mix together the spices, sugar and flour with a whisk.

Pour in the cream and blend. Then add in the honey and let sit for five minutes.

In another bowl, place apple slices and pour in about ¼ cup of the filling. With your hands, gently coat each slice until all are evenly covered with the filling.

Starting on the outside, begin layering in the slices around the edge of the piecrust. When you start the second ring, change directions. Keep layering until you have filled the pie with apple slices. Fill in the center with a few to create a rose effect.

Instead of hundreds of meticulous rosettes, you have a simple, yet intricate rose design, which keeps the main design element of the pie intact.

Brush the extra filling all over the pie with a pastry brush, or swab with a paper towel if you don’t have a brush, making sure to get the filling down in between the slices.

Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until the pie and pie crust have browned.

Cool and serve.

*Special thanks to the Food Network, Oprah Winfrey and especially Cynthia Gerlach at Bottletree Bakery for the support and love.

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Twinkle VanWinkle was born in a small town in Mississippi. A life-long lover of music, media and food, she grew up following those three things along her path. She has almost 20 years of professional cooking under her apron strings, feeding thousands of friends, family and other folks while working in restaurants and bakeries in Oxford, Miss. She baked 300 apple pies for the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and appeared on “The Best Of...” in the same year. Along with producing dynamic entertainment content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.

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