Although England has a long history of making meat and fruit pies, and it was the inspiration for the American versions, there is nothing that is more synonymous with American desserts than the apple pie. In the United States, apple pies are found everywhere from big grocery shops and restaurants to coffee shops and home bakers, baked until the double crust is golden brown, filled with cinnamon-sugar coated apples.
Homemade American apple pie is a source of great pride, causing arguments about which apple variety is the most suitable for the best pies. Some swear by Granny Smiths, but they are sour and require too much sugar, resulting in a soggy crust.
However, apple varieties are not the only concern. What about the crust? Should it be flaky and buttery or thin, crispy and based on lard? For a sweet and savory combination, some even replace half of the butter with Cheddar cheese, resulting in an unusual apple pie with a cheesy crust.
The following is the traditional apple pie recipe. It's a double-crusted pie filled with apple slices mixed with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. The cinnamon should be added to taste, and the amount of sugar added can be adjusted, depending on how sweet the apples are and your preference. The recipe is adapted from Jasper White's Cooking from New England by Jasper White, a trusted resource and leading authority on New England foods.
In this variant of apple pie, the filling cooked before it's placed into a pie shell. The apples are cut into wedges and cooked in a butter and sugar, then mixed with cooked down and caramelized apple juices. For easier preparation, the filling can be made two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator, or one can make batches of the filling and keep them frozen in the freezer for up to 6 months.
The following recipe gives instructions on how to make a double-crust apple pie that should then be served with slices of cheddar cheese. In this variant, the shortcrust pastry is made with a mix of butter and shortening, resulting in a tender, flaky pastry, while the filling consists of thinly sliced apples mixed with tapioca, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
The following is the traditional apple pie recipe. It's a double-crusted pie filled with apple slices mixed with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. The cinnamon should be added to taste, and the amount of sugar added can be adjusted, depending on how sweet the apples are and your preference. The recipe is adapted from Jasper White's Cooking from New England by Jasper White, a trusted resource and leading authority on New England foods.