Ingredients:

• – 3 Golden Delicious, Gala or Fuji apples (or a combination), peeled and cored (about 1¼ pounds)
• – 3 to 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (about 1½ pounds)
• – ½ cup wild honey
• – 12 thyme branches
• – ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into small pieces
• – 2 tablespoons instant tapioca
• – 1/3 cup brown sugar
• – ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• – ¼ teaspoon salt
• – Flour, for dusting
• – Dough for 2 9-inch pie crusts

Directions:

• 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice Golden Delicious apples and 3 Granny Smith apples into sixths.
• 2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, bring ¼ cup honey to a boil. Let simmer about 2 minutes, until honey is caramelized. Add 3 thyme branches, preferably tied up. Arrange half the apples in a single layer in skillet. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons butter over apples. Cook apples, turning, until well caramelized on all sides (but not cooked through), about 8 minutes. Scrape apples and honey mixture into a bowl. Add tapioca and toss to combine. Repeat cooking process with remaining honey, thyme, butter and sliced apples. Add second batch of apples to bowl; combine. Discard all thyme branches.
• 3. Thinly slice remaining Granny Smith apple and add it to bowl. Stir in sugar, ginger and salt.
• 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out both crusts to 12-inch circles. Place one crust in 9-inch pie plate. Scrape apple filling into crust and top with remaining crust. Pinch edges to seal. With a knife, slice 4 vents in top of crust. Or you can use cookie cutters to make a decorative lattice. I use butterflies.
• 5. Place pie on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet.Bake for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust is dark golden and apples are tender when pricked with a fork, about 45 minutes more. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Yield: One 9-inch pie, 8 servings.