Li Hing Mui Apple Pie
A tart and salty Hawaiian twist to a classic American pie.
This recipe is based off of one found in Mark Bittman’s, “How to Cook Everything.”
Me (Aaron), brother Galen and sister-in-law Cori enjoying apple cider after picking apples in Stillwater, MN. Photo by Eric Komo.
Photo by Aaron Komo.
The backstory
Ever heard of li hing mui? I’m guessing not. Back home, we basically put it on any snack or candy to make it better. Li hing mui is a salty dried plum. Remove the seed and you can grind it into a powder that has a sweet, sour and salty taste that pairs well with any citrus. It’s also commonly found on gummies, popcorn and apples. You can always tell when someone has been enjoying something with li hing on it if their tongue and finger tips are an unmistakable red-orange color. I have an endless list of favorite li hing snacks, but instead I’ll share this recipe for an apple pie that has li hing mui in the filling. It may be one of my most brilliant ideas. It got my mom to say, “Why didn’t I think of that.”
Li hing mui powder is hard to find anywhere outside of Hawai’i. You can order it online from one of my favorite local-kine snack purveyors, Snack Hawai’i (snackhawaii.com).
The recipe
Li Hing Mui Apple Pie
Makes 1 pie (top and bottom crusts)
Time: About 1.5 hours, plus cooling time
Tip: Trust your taste. If you want more li hing flavor, go for it.
Pie Crust: Enough for top and bottom of an 8”-10” pie pan
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
16 tbsp unsalted butter
6 tbsp cold water
Instructions:
Use two forks to bring the flour, salt, sugar and butter together in a crumbly consistency. Yes, a food processor can do this for you too - you fancy!
Sprinkle cold water a little at a time to form the dough into a ball. Be patient.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes or store it in the freezer up to 10 days.
Using the width of your pan as a guide, roll out the dough to less than 1/4 inch. Trim the edges as needed to fit.
Place in pan. Form your crust and let it sit in the fridge as you prepare the filling. Set aside rest of dough to decorate the top of your pie.
Li Hing Mui Apple Filling
Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp Li Hing Mui powder (Add more to taste and save some to sprinkle on the crust)
Pinch of salt
5-6 apples
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch (optional)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Milk as needed
Instructions:
Mix the sugars, cinnamon, li hing mui powder, and salt.
Toss the sliced apples and lemon juice with the li hing mixture.
Take the refrigerated pie crust out and use a fork to poke holes throughout. This was my favorite part as a kid.
Pour in the apple mixture, piling it higher in the center of the pan. If there is too much liquid, it’s okay to leave some of it in the bowl.
Top with pieces of butter and decorate the top. Be creative, but make sure air can escape.
Return to the fridge and preheat the oven to 450º F.
Place the pie on a baking sheet, brush the top lightly with milk and sprinkle sugar and li hing mui powder for garnish.
Bake at 450º F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350ºF and bake for another 45-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Cool on a rack before eating.
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