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    Home » Recipes » Pies, Crisps and Tarts

    Irish Apple Amber Pie

    Published: Mar 12, 2023 Modified: March 12, 2023 by Nina

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    A slice of pie on a white plate. Red and green apples are behind the plate.

    Celebrate this Saint Patrick's Day with this authentic Irish Apple Amber Pie! Unlike an American apple pie, this pie has more of an apple sauce filling and is topped with an airy meringue.

    A slice of pie on a white plate.  Red and green apples are behind the plate.

    ☘️A traditional pie from Ireland

    Looking for something traditional to make for Saint Patrick's Day? This Irish Apple Amber Pie is it! The filling is a sugary, chunky apple sauce over a buttery crust, with clouds of fluffy meringue topping. This pie is part lemon meringue pie, part apple pie, but has it's own flavour. I really loved it!

    You can use a pre made pie dough, or use my recipe for homemade flaky pie dough below. Either works! The apple filling can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Top the pie with the meringue topping the day you want to serve it (meringue deflates after a day). This is such an easy pie to put together!

    Looking for more Irish recipes!?! Try my Irish soda bread, Guinness chocolate cupcakes, or St. Patrick's Day Trifle!

    🥘Ingredients

    Ingredients needed to make Irish apple amber pie.

    Ingredient notes

    • Apples - I like to use a combination of apples (I do this with my apple pies too!). I recommend using a tart apple and sweet apple. Some varieties that work well are Granny Smith, Fuji, Pink Lady, and Honeycrisp.
    • Large eggs - White eggs work too. I had brown eggs on hand, so that's what I used.
    • Lemon juice - For best taste, use juice from a fresh squeezed lemon.
    A pie in a pie dish with a slice removed.

    🔪Instructions

    Pie Crust

    Homemade pie dough is actually really easy to make once you get the hang of it. Check out my post on how to make pie dough if you are a beginner.

    To make homemade pie dough, mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add shortening or lard, and using your hands or a pastry cutter, break into the flour until the fat is well distributed and is pea-sized.

    Mix milk and water in a small bowl. Pour a bit of the mixture into the large bowl and mix. Keep adding milk/water mixture until the dough comes together. You may not need to use all the milk/water mixture. If you need more, add a teaspoon of water at a time.

    Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. I like to make my dough the day before I make a pie. You can also freeze pie dough for up to 3 months.

    An above shot of a pie in a pie dish, with a slice removed from it.

    Partially baking pie crust

    Whether you make the pie dough yourself, or use a frozen pie dough, it will need to be par baked (partially baked). Roll dough out into a 12 inch circle on a floured surface. Carefully place the dough into the pie plate, tucking it into the bottom sides, and making sure it's smooth. Flute or crimp the edges.

    Place pie into the freezer while you preheat the oven to 375¯F (190°C). Line the pie crust with parchment paper, fill with baking weights or beans, and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove pie from oven and remove baking beans and parchment paper. Use a fork and prick holes all over the bottom of the crust. Return the pie crust to the oven and bake for a further 7-8 minutes.

    Apple filling

    Recipe step 1 for Irish Apple Amber Pie.

    Reduce oven to 350° (180°C). Combine apples and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes.

    Remove pan from heat and mix in egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Fill the partially baked crust with the apple mixture, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

    Meringue topping

    In the top of a double broiler, combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

    Recipe step 3 for Irish Apple Amber Pie.

    Dollop the topping over the pie, swirling to make peaks. Toast the top with a butane torch or in the oven on broil for a minute or two (watch carefully because it can burn really fast under a broiler).

    For more step-by-step photos and instructions, see the web story for Irish Apple Amber Pie!

    ✔️Expert tips

    • Use a store bought crust, or use a homemade crust (recipe is below).
    • Make the pie dough a day before. You can also make the filling a day before. Store both in the refrigerator overnight.
    • Use a combination of apples for more complex taste.
    • Make the meringue topping the day you want to serve the pie. It will start to loose volume after a day.

    💭FAQs

    Can I make this pie ahead of time?

    The pie dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The apple filling can also be made a day ahead.

    How do I store this pie?

    Store the pie without the meringue topping in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Top the pie with the meringue topping to day you want to serve it. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

    What does it mean to par bake?

    Par baking (partially baking) means to partially bake a crust before filling it with a wet filling (fruit, custard, or a pudding). The pie then gets baked longer.
    Par baking is importing so that the bottom of the crust doesn't get soggy from the wet filling.

    A slice of pie on a white plate. Red and green apples are behind the plate.

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    Let's Bake Together!

    Step-by-step instructions are all written in my recipe below. If you liked it, please rate me 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

    If you tried this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram. You can also find me on Facebook and Pinterest.

    A slice of pie on a white plate. Red and green apples are behind the plate.

    Irish Apple Amber Pie

    Nina
    Celebrate this Saint Patrick's Day with this authentic Irish Apple Amber Pie! Unlike an American apple pie, this pie has more of an apple sauce filling and is topped with an airy meringue.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Irish
    Servings 8 slices
    Calories 322 kcal

    Equipment

    • one 9 inch pie plate

    Ingredients
     
     

    Single Pie Crust

    • 1 cup all purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅓ cup shortening or lard chilled and cubed
    • 4 tablespoons milk cold
    • 4 tablespoons water cold

    Apple Filling

    • 6 apples peeled, cored, and grated
    • 3 tablespoons water
    • 4 large egg yolks
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

    Meringue topping

    • 4 large egg whites
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

    Instructions
     

    Pie Dough

    • If you are choosing to make your own pie dough, mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add shortening or lard, and using your hands or a pastry cutter, break into the flour until the fat is well distributed and is pea-sized.
    • Mix milk and water in a small bowl. Pour a bit of the mixture into the large bowl and mix. Keep adding milk/water mixture until the dough comes together. You may not need to use all the milk/water mixture. If you need more, add a teaspoon of water at a time.
    • Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
    • Grease a 9 inch pie plate. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out into a 12 inch circle on a floured surface. Carefully place the dough into the pie plate, tucking it into the bottom sides, and making sure it's smooth. Flute or crimp the edges. Place pie into the freezer while you preheat the oven to 375¯F (190°C).
    • When the oven has preheated, take the pie crust from the freezer. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Crunch the parchment paper up fist so that it will easily shape the crust. Fill the crust up with pie weights or dried beans. Bake pie crust for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are starting to brown.
    • Remove the pie from the oven, take out the baking beans and the parchment paper. With a fork, prick the bottom of the pie crust all over. Return the pie crust to the oven. Bake for a further 7-8 minutes, or until the bottom of the pie crust is just beginning to brown. Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

    Apple Filling

    • Reduce oven to 350° (180°C). Combine apples and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes.
    • Remove pan from heat and mix in egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Fill the partially baked crust with the apple mixture, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

    Meringue Topping

    • In the top of a double broiler, combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
    • Dollop the topping over the pie, swirling to make peaks. Toast the top with a butane torch or in the oven on broil for a minute or two (watch carefully because it can burn really fast under a broiler).
    • Pie is best served the day the meringue has topped it. The apple pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

    Notes

    • Use a store bought crust, or use a homemade crust (recipe is below).
    • Make the pie dough a day before. You can also make the filling a day before. Store both in the refrigerator overnight.
    • Use a combination of apples for more complex taste.
    • Make the meringue topping the day you want to serve the pie. It will start to loose volume after a day.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes

    Nutrition

    Calories: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 108mgPotassium: 227mgFiber: 4gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 216IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Follow me on Instagram!Mention @ninakneadstobake or tag #ninakneadstobake!

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    Hi, I'm Nina! I am a self-taught baker and have a love for baking and trying new techniques. Here you will find easy step-by-step sweet and savoury recipes, with lots of tips.

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