American pie.

Looking for a pie that won't break your bad-fat budget? Our in-house Healthy Cook, Tamara Goldis, maximizes the fruit and minimizes the harmful fat and added sugar in these two fabulous pies made with flaky, half-whole-wheat crust. (To keep the fillings low in damaging fat, we used trans-free Promise stick margarine.)

If the prospect of turning out pie crust from scratch makes you weak in the knees, look for the store-bought crust with the least bad (saturated + trans) fat.

Half-Whole-Wheat
Pie Crust

To keep the crust low in bad fat, we used
Crisco 0 grams Trans Shortening.

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup Crisco 0 grams Trans Fat
    Shortening, cut into pieces
3-5 Tbs. ice water

Combine the flours and salt in a medium
bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry
cutter or two knives (using a scissors motion)
until the mixture resembles coarse
crumbs. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a
time, stirring with a fork until the mixture
is just moistened and starts to cling
together. Gently gather the dough into a
ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the
refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Remove the plastic wrap and place the
dough between two pieces of waxed paper.
Roll to an 11-inch circle. Peel off the top
layer of paper, flip the crust over into a
9-inch pie plate, peel off the other layer,
and press into the plate. Trim the edges, if
necessary.

If the recipe calls for a pre-baked crust,
crimp the edges and fill with a single layer
of pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 450[degrees]
for 15 minutes, let cool, empty the weights
or beans, and fill according to the recipe.
Serves 8.

PER SERVING:

Calories: 120

Total Fat: 8 g

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Trans Fat: 0 g

Sodium 70 mg

Protein' 2 g
Carbohydrates 10 g

Fiber: 1 g


Apricot Cranberry
Free-Form Pie

1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots
  3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
  3/4 cup chopped dried apples
  1/4 cup chopped walnuts
    1 cup water
  1/2 cup apple juice
  1/4 cup packed brown sugar
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
  1/2 tsp. orange extract
    1 Tbs. Promise stick margarine
    1 pie crust, not pre-baked
      (see recipe)

Preheat the oven to 350[degrees]. Combine the
apricots, cranberries, apples, walnuts, water,
apple juice, and brown sugar in a medium
saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook
for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and
stir in the vanilla extract, orange extract,
and margarine.

Place the unbaked pie crust in a 9-inch
pie plate, allowing it to hang over the edge
of the plate. Pour the fruit mixture into
the crust, then fold the crust into the center
of the plate so that the filling is partially
covered (the center of the filling will still
be visible). Bake for 40 minutes or until
the crust is golden brown. Serves 8.
PER SERVING:

Calories. 320

Total Fat 12 g

Saturated Fat. 3 g

Trans Fat. 0 g

Sodium. 190 mg

Protein: 3 g

Carbohydrates. 53 g

Fiber 5 g

Apple Crumble Pie

  6 Granny Smith apples, peeled,
    cored, and sliced
    2 Tbs. lemon juice
  1/3 cup plus 2 Tbs. whole wheat
      pastry flour, divided
    2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
  3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, divided
  1/4 cup granulated sugar
    1 pre-baked pie crust (see recipe)
  2/3 cup quick-cooking oats
  1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 1/2 Tbs. Promise stick margarine
    1 Tbs. vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350[degrees]. Combine the
apples and lemon juice in a large bowl
with water to cover. In a separate bowl,
combine 2 Tbs. flour, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon,
1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and the granulated sugar.
Drain the apples and pour the sugar mixture
over them, tossing to coat. Spoon the
apples into the crust.

In a medium bowl, stir the remaining
1/3 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp.
nutmeg with the oats, brown sugar, and
ginger. Cut in the Promise with two knives
or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles
coarse crumbs. Stir in the oil. Sprinkle
the crumb mixture evenly over the apples.

Cover the pie with foil and bake for 30
minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an
additional 15 minutes or until the crumb
topping is browned. Serves 8.

PER SERVING:

Calories: 310

Total Fat: 14 g

Saturated Fat: 3 g

Trans Fat. 0 g

Sodium. 110 mg

Protein 3 g

Carbohydrates: 47 g

Fiber: 4 g