The Best Gravenstein Apple Pie Recipe

Each August, Sebastopol holds its annual Gravenstein Apple Fair to celebrate the county’s treasured heirloom apple. FruitGuys Founder Chris Mittelstaedt was a judge at Sebastopol’s 2009 Gravenstein Apple Fair pie contest alongside the previous year’s winner, Sonoma county resident Kayleigh Stump. Below you’ll find her prize-winning Gravenstein Apple Pie recipe as well a delicious Gravenstein Apple cole slaw recipe from Sebastopol food writer Stephanie Rosenbaum, another Gravenstein apple baking champion. Enjoy the Gravs’ brief but glorious season.

Gravenstein Apple Pie

Recipe by Kayleigh Stump, Grand Champion of the 2009 Gravenstein Apple Fair’s pie baking contest.

INGREDIENTS

Crust

2 cups unbleached flour

½ cup almond flour

2 sticks very cold unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar

5–8 tablespoons ice cold water

Filling

7 Gravenstein apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

½ cup unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup water

½ cups packed brown sugar

½cup white sugar

1 cap full of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon allspice

PREPARATION

Crust

• Mix flour, almond flour, salt and brown sugar.
• Cut in butter.
• Drizzle in ice-cold water one tablespoon at a time, until crumbly dough stays together when pinched.
• Form two disks and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Roll out dough to line pie plate.

Filling

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan.
• Stir in flour to form a paste.
• Add water, white sugar, spices, vanilla, and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
• Place the bottom crust in your pan.
• Fill with apples, mounded slightly.
• Cover with a latticework of crust.
• Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust.
• Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
• Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
• Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 35-45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Gravenstein Apple Slaw

Recipe by Stephanie Rosenbaum Klassen

INGREDIENTS

3 Gravenstein apples, cored, thinly sliced

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

Two tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Two tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil

One tablespoon honey

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups finely shredded red cabbage

1 cup finely shredded green cabbage

1 cup grated carrots

Four scallions, finely chopped, or ½ small red onion, thinly sliced

One jalapeno pepper halved, seeds removed, thinly sliced

⅓ cup chopped cilantro or parsley leaves

PREPARATION

• Toss apple slices with lemon juice and set aside.
• Whisk together vinegar, oil, honey, salt, and pepper; taste for seasoning.
• In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, carrots, scallions, apple, and jalapeno.
• Pour dressing over slaw and mix well.
• Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, mix in cilantro or parsley.

Serves 4–6. Prep time, 20 minutes.

Stephanie Rosenbaum Klassen is a Sonoma County-based writer. She is a past Grand Champion of the Gravenstein Apple Fair’s pie-baking contest. Her books include Honey from Flower to Table, World of Doughnuts, and A Little Taste of San Francisco.