Apple Orange Pie

In this recipe, adapted from an English cookbook published in 1588,
a delicate hint of bitterness furnished by orange peel,
combines wonderfully with the mellow sweetness of apples.

Ingredients:
2 thin-skinned juice oranges, well scrubbed
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pastry for two-crust (9-inch) pie
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
6 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

Directions:
Several hours before serving, prepare oranges:
slice one orange as thinly as possible, discarding seeds.
With vegetable peeler, peel off zest from remaining orange,
being careful to avoid the white bitter pith underneath the peel;
cut peel into very thin strips.
In small saucepan, combine water, honey, and lemon juice; heat to boil. Add orange slices and strips of peel.
Cover, reduce heat to low,
and simmer until peel is limp and very tender -- about 1 hour.
Drain orange slices and peel; press out excess liquid and set aside.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line bottom of 9-inch pie pan with half of pastry.
In large bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon,
and ginger; add apple slices and toss until evenly coated.
Place half the apples in pastry-lined pan;
top with cooked orange slices and peel.
Arrange remaining apples over layer of orange.
Cover filling with remaining pastry;
pinch edges of bottom and top crust together to seal.
Cut several slits in top crust to vent steam.
Bake pie 1 hour or until pastry is golden and apples are tender.