SPICED APPLE GINGER PIE

SPICED APPLE GINGER PIE
FILLING
7-8 firm, juicy Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup golden rum
1/2 cup water
1 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup+ packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons honey
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CRUST
1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps
1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 cup melted butter

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Mix water and rum together and soak raisins in the mixture while your are preparing the apples.
• Drain the raisins retaining the rum mixture.
• In a large skillet melt the butter. Add the rum mixture.
• Add apples and simmer until apples are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
• While apples are simmering, prepare crust. Finely grind the vanilla wafers, ginger snaps and walnuts together. I use my mini Cuisinart and do it in just a few small batches to get the crumbs extra fine and then cut everything else in with a pastry blender. Add the seasonings, melted butter, lemon and lime juices until well blended.
• Press 1/3-1/2 of crust into a greased deep pie plate.*
• When apples are tender, sprinkle sugars, flour and seasonings over the apples.
• Fold in the lemon juice, vanilla, honey and raisins.
• Simmer until gooey.
• Pour into the pie plate and top with remaining crust.
• Bake 50-60 minutes until golden.
• Cool.
• Serve with vanilla ice cream.

*I sometimes sprinkle 1/3 of the crust mixture between layers of apples.