The air is cooler, the leaves are changing color, and the garden is giving up the last of its harvests. It’s official, fall is here. And in my neck of the woods, that means apples. Sweet, juicy, in season apples. They’re at their peak from about late August through the end of November.

When buying, look for plump, unblemished fruits that are firm and heavy, and avoid apples that are bruised or otherwise damaged. Store these seasonal treasures in a cool place or in the refrigerator for up to one month.

This is a raw apple pie, but it’s just as filling and comforting as any cooked version and would be suitable for any of the holiday festivities of the season.

The best apples to use for this recipe include Honeycrisp, Gala, Pippin, Braeburn, Red or Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, and Northern Spy.

yield: 6 servings, approximately $1.60 per serving

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup raisins

Filling

• 5 apples
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 4 tablespoons agave
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Caramel

• 4 tablespoons almond butter
• 2 tablespoons agave
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons water
• preparation:

Filling Preparation:

1. Peel and slice the apples into pieces about 1/8 in thick.
2. In a lidded container (I used a zip lock box), toss the apples and 1/2 cup raisins with the agave, lemon juice, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until well coated.
3. Spread out on a lined dehydrator sheet and dry for about 2 hours, stirring once or twice. This isn’t meant to dry the apples, but to soften them and let the flavor intensify.

Crust Preparation:

• In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, process the walnuts and 1 cup raisins until the mix starts to stick together. This takes a couple minutes.
• Press the mix into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of an 8 inch spring form pan.
• Put in the freezer for a half hour to firm.
• caramel
• In a bullet type blender, puree the almond butter, agave, olive oil, and water until very smooth.
• Spoon the apple mixture from the dehydrator into the chilled pie crust and pour the caramel evenly on top. Chill for another half hour, if desired. For extra creamy goodness, serve with a scoop of vanilla banana ice cream.

Nutritional information:

calories: 462
fat: 24 gr
carbs: 64 gr
protein: 6 gr