Apple Pie Egg rolls

This past weekend my family celebrated the life of my wonderful grandfather, Bob Wells. There are many things that man taught me- such as the importance of gathering at the table together, an appreciation of home cooked food and the person who prepared it, and the value of family. After he passed I decided I wanted to cook something for him. I never got the chance to make a dish for my sweet grandfather, and although it’s too late now, I thought I’d prepare something in his honor that he would have liked had he been alive. When I started brainstorming what to cook for him, I kept coming back to pies.  I remember him loving fruit pies- apple, pineapple, rhubarb, blackberry- you name it, my grandmother probably made it, and he definitely loved it. I am fairly certain my grandfather never had apple pie egg rolls, although I think that if had he tried these he would have loved them. I think he would have been proud. I’d like to imagine he still is.

Ingredients:


Apple pie filling:

• 2 green apples (abut 2 heaping cups), peeled and diced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 ½ Tablespoons instant tapioca pearls
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground all-spice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 package of egg roll wrappers (between 24 and 32)

Sweetened cardamom whipped cream:


• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar (granulated is fine)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with a thin layer of non-stick spray
2. Peel and dice apple, then mix with other filling ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Stir together until ingredients are well combined and allow to sit for 10 minutes.*
3. Lay one egg roll wrapper on a clean surface so that one corner is pointing towards you.  Lightly brush all four sides with egg wash.
4. Spread 2 spoonfuls of the filling onto the middle of the egg roll wrapper and fold the edge closest to you over the filling.
5. Tuck the sides of the egg roll wrapper in towards the center and brush with egg wash. Continue to roll the filling in the egg roll wrapper and press the edges to seal.
6. (Optional: wrap that seal egg roll in another egg roll wrapper, repeating the same steps with the egg wash, to prevent the egg roll from bursting in the oven)*
7. Place the egg roll on the baking sheet and repeat this process until all the wrappers and/or filling are used.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the egg rolls are golden brown and crisp. For best results serve immediately with sweet cardamom whipped cream.
9. Sweet cardamom whipped cream: Beat the cream with a hand mixer on medium high until the cream begins to thicken. Slowly add the sugar, continuing to mix. Add the vanilla and cardamom and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Place in a side dish or bowl and serve with egg rolls.

Notes and Tips:

• Allowing the filling mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes is time that allows for the tapioca pearls to soften. Do not rush or skip this step!
• If you fill your egg roll wrapper with too much filling it will burst in the oven. I highly recommend small scoops of filling and double wrapping each egg roll in two wrappers.
• If you are baking the egg rolls in advance, store them in an air tight container at room temperature and prior to serving, warm them up in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 on a parchment lined baking sheet. This will allow for the egg rolls to get slightly crispy and warm again.  Store the whipped cream in a sealed refrigerated container and mix with a fork or hand mixer once more before serving.
• Yield: about 16, depending on how thick you stuff your egg rolls
• This recipe was originally adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon.
• If you like this recipe, try my Apple Spice Cookies with Cardamom Cinnamon Frosting!