Apple Pie With Cider Sauce

On Saturday, we drove out to this orchard (located about 75 minutes west of Washington, D.C.) and I bought about a dozen apples. Half of the apples were Yorks, and the other half were Granny Smith.

I was in the mood to make a pie, and I had never before made one with York apples, which are considered among the best apples for baking. I used 4 Yorks and 2 Granny Smiths in the pie.

I was very happy with how the pie turned out. But I added a twist that I really liked. It was a cider sauce to serve with the pie.
I sort of borrowed from a couple of different recipes I found on the web. I started with about 3/4 cup of apple cider and a cinnamon stick, and brought it to a boil over high heat. The liquid was reduced slightly, then I added about 4 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of molasses and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, stirring the whole time.

I placed 2 tablespoons of arrowroot into a coffee mug. Then I poured 2 tablespoons of apple cider and 2 tablespoons of Calvados (apple brandy) into the same cup, stirring it thoroughly to dissolve the arrowroot into the liquid.

Then I added the liquid in the coffee mug to the saucepan, stirring to incorporate as the mixture continued to bubble. The cider mixture started to thicken about 4 to 5 minutes later and I removed it from the burner and discarded the cinnamon stick. (If your sauce is still too thin, mix a little more arrowroot with a little more cider and then add this mixture to the sauce.)

I spooned the sauce alongside the pie and added a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was a nice way to welcome autumn.