Originally published in March 2018; updated October 2022.
I love to celebrate my heritage with an authentic Irish dish. I think it’s such a great way to learn about the culture, and to try something new and different. Last year, I was all about the Irish Apple Cake. This year, I’m tackling this Traditional Irish Apple Pie (also known as Apple Amber Pie!) I discovered this unique recipe while researching Irish cuisine, and the minute I saw it, it spoke to me. It’s home-y and old fashioned, yet so pretty and delicious!
Apples In Ireland
According to this article on HGTV, the apple tree has been an important source of food in Ireland for thousands of years (and most people think it was all about potatoes!) Apple trees are one of the few that grow well in the difficult Irish climate, and while crabapples are the only native apple to the country, other varieties have been cultivated for centuries including: Ard Cairn Russet, Lady’s Finger of Offaly, and Kerry Pippin.
Uses of Apples in Ireland:
- Cakes,
- Stewed apples
- Tarts/desserts
- Alcohol production
Baking a Traditional Irish Apple Pie
Apple Amber Pie is little more than grated apples cooked down into a sweet, silky puree and topped with meringue. It all begins with a good pie crust. You can use store bought, or use my favorite recipe for homemade pie crust from scratch. Just roll it out to a little larger than your pie dish, trim off the excess, crimp the edge, and give it a head start in the oven.
Fill it with a sweet apple filling that’s made with Granny Smith apples, egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice. Once it’s baked and cooled you can top it with an airy toasted meringue. I think you’ll love the combination of buttery pastry, sweet apples, and light-as-a-cloud meringue. The recipe below calls for Granny Smith, but I used Pink Lady®. Both are great options and hold up well in the oven, Pink Lady® apples just make for a slightly sweeter tasting pie!
Ready, Set, Bake!
Let’s get to baking! Watch my video below for a step by step guide to making this Traditional Irish Apple Pie. I hope you enjoy a slice of the Irish with this pie and leave a comment below telling us how your dessert turned out!
Traditional Irish Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1/2 batch Simply Perfect Pie Crust*
- 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and grated
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 6 large egg whites
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with an authentic Irish dish, Apple Amber. Pie crust filled with sweet apple filling and topped with an toasted meringue.
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Roll out the pie dough to a few inches larger than your pie dish.
- Transfer the dough to the pie dish, trim off any excess, and crimp the edge. Par-bake the pie crust for 10 minutes.
- Place the grated apples and water in a large pot, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until tender (about 15 minutes).
- Whisk the yolks, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and lemon juice together in a small bowl, and stir the mixture into the cooked apples (off the heat).
- Transfer the apple filling to the prepared crust, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the filling is set and the edges of the crust are golden.
- Cool completely.
- Whip the egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar together until the meringue holds stiff peaks.
- Spoon the meringue onto the cooled pie and brown with a brulee torch, or under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes.
https://bakingamoment.com/simply-perfect-homemade-pie-crust/
Nutritional Information
Per Serving
- Calories: 344
- Fat Content: 7.6g
- Cholesterol Content: 157mg
- Sodium Content: 119mg
- Carbohydrate Content: 68.2g
- Fiber Content: 5.7g
- Sugar Content: 54.9g
- Protein Content: 6.1g
(81 votes, average: 3.69 out of 5)
