Duck Fat Apple Pie

Making this pie twice in a row is not on my Bingo card. However,  After a very smooth process of making the first one, this happened. Butterfingers. Ugh.

I was not deterred, even though the pie was no longer camera-ready. I was going to photograph this pie so I could post it.  The broken one was given to a neighbor in crumbled form to eat with vanilla ice cream.

It takes a bit of time to make this pie but the good part is you can make both the crust and filling ahead of time and just assemble and bake the day you would like to serve it.

Add the duck fat to the crust of this Duck Fat Apple Pie. It bumps up the flavor and the crust is perfect in texture and taste. The Star Anise adds a spicy warmth for seasonal flavor.

What is Star Anise?

Star anise is a spice that comes from the fruit of the Illicium verum tree. This is native to China and Vietnam. It’s known for its unique star-shaped pods and strong, aromatic flavor that resembles licorice. Each “arm” or point of the star contains a shiny seed. However, it’s the pod, not the seed, that holds most of the potent oils and flavor.

The flavor of star anise is warm, sweet, and spicy, similar to fennel or anise seed, though it’s a bit more intense. This makes it a perfect addition to this Duck Fat Apple Pie. Star Anise is a staple in Chinese cuisine, especially in slow-cooked dishes and broths. Additionally, it is also popular in Indian and Vietnamese cooking. Star anise is a key ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder. It has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. So it’s a healthful addition to cooking!

Pro Tip: When serving, don’t forget to tell your pie eaters the whole star anise is not edible.

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Star Anise Duck Fat Apple Pie

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple pie, duck fat, duck fat recipes, fall pies, star anise

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Chill Time: 6 hours

Servings 8

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1+3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon star anise powder
• 7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons cold duck fat
• 2-3 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:

• 2 lbs sweet-tart apples
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 5 whole star anise*
• 1 cup pure unsweetened apple juice
• 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Make the crust:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and star anise powder. Pour into a food processor.

2. Cut the butter and duck fat into small pieces. Add the butter and duck fat to the dry ingredients and pulse until everything comes into a crumb-like mixture.

3. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing. you want to add just enough water to make the dough stick together.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic cling film and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Make the filling:

1. Peel and core the apples. Cut the apple flesh into small pieces. Toss the pieces with the lemon juice in a heatproof bowl.

2. Place the sugar and the whole star anise in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar starts to melt.

3. Add the apple juice and cook, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat.

4. Toss the hot liquid with the apples. Let cool completely.

Assemble and bake the pie:

1. Grease and flour an 11-inch pie pan. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Roll out Two-thirds of the dough on a floured work surface into a circle slightly bigger than the circumference of the pie pan.

3. Transfer the circle to the pan and use your fingers to crimp the edges all the way around. Add any scraps to the other half of the dough.

4. Give the coated apples another stir and drain off any excess liquid.

5. Distribute the apples evenly into the pie shell, placing the whole star anise evenly on top of the apples.

6. Use a 2" star cookie cutter to create cutouts and evenly distribute them over the top of the pie.

7. Brush the milk on top of the star cutouts.

8. Cover the top of the pie with aluminum foil. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

9. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the aluminum foil and cook the pie for another 30 minutes.

10. Take the pie out of the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut and serve.

Recipe Notes

*NOTE: The whole star anise is not edible.

Like this Star Anise Duck Fat Apple Pie? Also, check out some of these other recipes:

DUCK FAT FRIED POTATOES

DUCK BREAST IN SHERRY CREAM SAUCE

STAR ANISE ICE CREAM

RED ONION GOAT CHEESE WHOLE WHEAT ANISE TART