Apple Pie in a Brown Paper Bag

Bottom Crust:
1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp. Wheat Germ
2 Tbsp. Flax Seed Meal
1 1/2 tsp. Splenda
3 Tbsp. Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread
3 Tbsp. Unsweetened Apple Sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp. Cold Water, or More as Needed

Pie Filling:
5 lb. Granny Smith Apples - Peeled, Cored, & Thinly Sliced
1/2 C. Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
2 Tbsp. Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1 Pinch Ground Ginger
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Graham Cracker Crumbs

Topping:
1/2 C. Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp. Wheat Germ
2 Tbsp. Flax Seed Meal
1/2 C. Softened Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread
1/2 C. Splenda

2 12x30-in. Pieces of Parchment Paper

Due to food safety concerns with lead from ink, possible contaminants in recycled paper, or fire, it's better to use parchment paper to bake the pie.

Original Baking Directions: Place pie in a large brown supermarket bag on its side, not standing up, making sure the bag does not touch the top or sides of the pie. Carefully fold over the opening of the bag & staple it closed to seal the pie in. Bake at 425 for 1 hr. It will smell like the bag is burning in the first 30 min. of cooking, but then you can smell the pie cooking so don't worry! My oven runs very hot so I cook this at 400 for 1 hr.

1. To make the bottom crust, stir the flour, wheat germ, flax seed meal, & Splenda together in a bowl until well-combined. Rub the Smart Balance into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; add the apple sauce; sprinkle with cold water, a tablespoons at a time, mixing the dough together lightly with a fork until it barely holds together.
2. Form the dough into a ball & roll it out to a circle about 1/8-in. thick. Gently ease the dough into an 8-in. pie dish. Cut off any excess pastry with a knife. Finish the edge of the crust by gently pressing the tines of a fork into the dough all the way around the edge of the pie dish. Set the crust aside.
3. To make the pie filling, stir the apples, brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. of flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, & lemon juice together in a large bowl; set aside.
4. To make the topping, mix the flour, wheat germ, flax seed meal, softened Smart Balance, & the Splenda together in a bowl until you have a sticky, moist dough.
5. To assemble the pie, cover the bottom of the pie crust with a light, even layer of graham cracker crumbs. Fill the pie with the apple mixture, piling it up in a mound shape. Pinch off pieces of the topping mixture, flatten them a little with your fingers, & dot them at random all over the top of the filling, covering as much of the filling as possible.
6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
7. Tear off 2 30-in.-long pieces of parchment paper & place them in a cross shape on a work surface. Place the filled pie in the center of the two pieces of parchment, bring the paper ends up over the pie & fold & staple the parchment paper over the pie to completely enclose & seal in the pie. The paper should not touch the top or sides of the pie. Place the parchment-wrapped pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hr. Don't peek inside the parchment paper while baking. Remove from the oven, carefully tear the parchment paper away from the pie, & let cool; serve warm. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Serving Size: 1/10th of an 8-in. Pie

Number of Servings: 10

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LFERGUSON0.