Recipe For Scottish Warrior Apple Custard Pie
Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" has always been a spiritual experience. One month after the movie came out, I (and the rest of the world) had watched it a total of six times. Everyone in the household had done the exact same thing. We were obsessed. In every way possible it stirs the heart and puts you on an emotional roller coaster that is far beyond any other movie. It called to my heart and I still feel it to this day.
My inspiration for the dish I played with this week is the movie "Braveheart." My belief it that pies are best served rustic. Lots of pies can be clean cut and very uppity, but nothing is better than a grounded dish that reminds one of origins and countries built on old world traditions. So goes my Scottish Warrior Apple Custard Pie.
"Braveheart" is a movie primarily <a href="
https://mwge.org/top-10-best-spiritual-movies-for-awakening/">spiritual movie</a> the love of home and country. All the characters in the movie are fighting for the soil that they have put so much work and dreams into. The pie crust represents that element. While most pie crusts are made out of white flour, this one has wheat incorporated within it to represent the colors and essence of their very Earth. Also, instead of rolled out pastry we have pressed in the pan crust. We use our hands to mold the crust to the pan, as the Scottish peasants use their hands to till their Earth and feed their families.
Apples, (although not primarily Scottish) has always represented home life. Anything baked with apples brings you to that feeling of comfort. The cinnamon-sugar laced apples remind me of the essence of which William Wallace craves. It's primarily the ability to build a home, be at peace, and have a family. In order to do this he must fight, that is why the apples are buried within the pie and not on the top. It is the idea he cherishes and keeps within himself in order to be a good leader.
Thick, creamy, and sweet the custard represents the spirits of the said warriors. The custard is thick and well cooked on the outside but once you cut spiritual movie
that layer you get a sweet and rich flavor (as only the Scottish warriors are, softies on the inside with a rough shell on the outside).
Brave, rustic, and sweet on the inside this is exactly what a Scottish revolution ordered:
"Scottish Warrior Apple Custard Pie"*
Ingredients: 1 cup evaporated milk, 3 cups sliced and peeled granny smith apples, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup whole-wheat flour, 1 large egg, ½ tsp salt, ¼ cup plus 1/6 cup sugar, ¼ cup plus 1/6 cup Splenda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and ½ cup cold unsalted butter.
1) Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2) In a bowl sir the flours and salt, then cut in the butter until coarse crumbs show. Press on the bottom and up the sides of a nine inch pie pan. Arrange apples over the crust. In another bowl stir 1/6 cup sugar, 1/6 cup Splenda, and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over the apples. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk the evaporated milk, egg, ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ cup Splenda until smooth. Then pour over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
4) Cut with a sword and enjoy like a warrior.
* Base of recipe from Taste of Home and I molded it from there.