Snickerdoodle Apple Pie

Over the last couple of years, as I have become just as entrenched in the Facebook world as many of you, I have seen so many recipes that are posted by friends and family.  Some are intriguing enough to jot down, and this was one of them; a pie made with cookie dough...yum!  It's been a while since I wrote this one down and of course didn't make a note of the source.  A quick Google and I found it on Food TV's website.
So my first thought was, "Can I make this sugar-free?"  Turns out that I can.  Technically, I guess this would be classified as a No Sugar Added  recipe.  Any time you have fruit in a recipe, it will have some natural sugars in it.  But this recipe has no refined sugar.

So the original recipe I jotted down called for a tube of prepared sugar cookie dough.  A year or two ago, I found a recipe for sugar-free sugar cookies.  Sounds ironic, but I have made it for all occasions:  Valentine's cookies, Halloween cookies, and definitely for Christmas cookies.  I have made these cookies for students in my classes and they have loved them.  Teenagers seem to be some of the most honest people on the planet.  I have mailed these cookies in care packages to my daughter in college, and her friends have a hard time believing her when she says that her mom made "sugar-free sugar cookies".  You might think it an impossibility...but it works.

So first we have to make the cookie dough.

• 1 c. (2 sticks) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
• 3 c. Splenda
• 2 eggs
• 4 t. vanilla
• 3 c. flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt

Start by beating the butter in a large mixing bowl.  Add the Splenda a little at a time and beat well.  Once you have incorporated the Splenda into the butter, add the eggs and vanilla. 

 One thing you will notice after you beat the wet ingredients together, is that the batter will almost look separated and not as well incorporated as a normal cookie dough.  Don't worry...it will mix well once you add the dry ingredients.





Next add the dry ingredients.  Stir in your dry ingredients using a wooden spoon or spatula.  Notice that the dough looks like it might need more moisture to fully pull together; but no.  After you have incorporated all of the dry ingredients, use your hands to do the final mixing and it will come together in a great, smooth dough.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for a couple of hours to chill.  If you want to make sugar cookies, see the recipe and how to bake them off Sugar Cookie Recipe.


So now we can make the pie:

• a recipe of sugar-free, sugar cookie dough
• a 20 ounce can of sugar-free apple pie filling
• 1/4 c. Splenda
• 4 t. cinnamon

Use 2/3 of the cookie dough and press into the bottom of a pie plate and up the sides, forming the "pie crust".  Mix together the Splenda and the cinnamon in a small bowl.  Sprinkle 2/3 of the mixture over the cookie dough crust.  Spoon the pie filling evenly over the crust. 

Use the remaining cookie dough and flatten out small pieces to place over the filling.  It should look rustic and it will not completely cover the entire pie.  Sprinkle with the remaining Splenda/cinnamon mixture.  Bake at 335 F. for 35-40 minutes until dough is done.

 This is an amazing pie and the cookie dough makes a soft and chewy crust.  About the only thing I can think of that would make it better, would be a big scoop of sugar-free vanilla ice cream.  But as you can see, it didn't deter anyone in my house from fully enjoying it.  Maybe I can sneak the last piece before anyone notices.