Mock Mincemeat Pie

My mother made this pie at Thanksgiving, and it's a great variation on apples and raisins with a hint of orange and cinnamon and cloves. She called it 'mock' because there is no meat involved. The filling mixture will keep for several days. Before using the filling, it's optional to stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of brandy.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 429 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• ½ cup apple cider
• 1 pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 ½ cups seedless raisins
• 2 soda crackers, finely crushed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step 2

Stir the raisins, apples, orange zest, orange juice, and apple cider together in a pan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and soda crackers until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use, or pour apple mixture into the prepared pie crust. Top with the second crust. Pinch and crimp edges to seal the crusts. Pierce the top crust in several places with a fork.

Step 3

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes more. Cool before serving.