Li Hing Apple Pie

There's no more satisfying end to a meal than a simple wedge of warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream. It's a classic pairing, like chocolate and strawberries or Bogart and Bacall. And yet because apple pie has been cooked in a million kitchens it sometimes feels too... ordinary. The addition of sweet-sour li hing breathes new life without straying too far from the original.

Start with a standard apple pie recipe of your choice. It doesn't really matter which one; just choose from your favorite general cookbook. Skip the cinnamon and nutmeg and instead substitute one to two tablespoons of li hing powder. I used seven peeled Granny Smith apples, sliced thin and tossed with 3/4 c. sugar, 2 T. li hing powder, 1/4 c. flour and 2 T. fresh lemon juice. Go easy on the li hing to start, tasting as you add it. It's easy to go overboard. Layer the filling into a crust and cook about 45 minutes at 425 degrees.

You'll definitely want to serve this pie with ice cream to help smooth the li hing tartness. I borrowed Cherilyn Chun's technique and cut candied ginger into vanilla ice cream; again very close to the classic pairing but with that extra twist.

Half the fun is watching the first tastes. The pie looks normal enough, but after that initial bite the eyes open wider, puzzlement slowly turns into recognition and the rest of the slice disappears in a flash.