usaTheSpiceOdysseyDecember 25, 2020with salted maple caramel sauce

Classic Apple Pie

usaTheSpiceOdysseyDecember 25, 2020with salted maple caramel sauce

Apple pie is a longstanding symbol of the land of the free and home of the brave. Arguably the country’s most iconic dish, Americans have made apple pie truly their own. “As American as apple pie” is a common phrase used to describe things that are undeniably American—like Uncle Sam, McDonald’s, fireworks and barbecues for the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving feasts for generations.

As popular as this tasty dessert may be, it isn’t actually American. A quick look at its history tells us that only through revisionism has this dish come to represent the United States; even more, in the process we may have ignored the historical and cultural influences that have shaped its place in our country's narrative.

Jump To Recipe

The Origin Story

Apples are native to Asia, and have been in America about as long as European have. Before the settlers arrived, only crab apples grew on the continent; shrunken and sour, they were barely used for eating, let alone for pastry. The early colonists of Jamestown brought European apple tree cuttings and seeds with them. The first apple varieties raised in the United States were intended for cider, not eating, which means they were more tart. However, there are American apple pie recipes, both manuscript and printed, from the 18th century, and it has since become a very popular dessert.

Apple pie as we know it first originated in England, where it developed from culinary influences from France, the Netherlands, and even the Ottoman Empire. The British and Dutch made their own versions of apple pie long before the Declaration of Independence or even the first Thanksgiving. Though most British pies were savory, apple and other fruit-based pies were pretty common back in the 14th century.

Many of the other ingredients necessary for apple pie also come from beyond America’s borders. Wheat originated in the Middle East, while pastry fats like lard and butter arrived when Christopher Columbus brought domesticated pigs and cattle to the New World. Crucial spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, meanwhile, came from far-flung countries like Sri Lanka and Indonesia. And of course, the art of pastry stemmed from a melting pot of culinary traditions in mainland Europe, particularly French, Italian, and Arabic.

How did it become an enduring patriotic symbol?

Though the exact origin of the phrase “as American as apple pie” is unclear, a 1902 New York Times article lambasted an English writer for complaining that eating apple pie more than two times per week was excessive. The editor retorted with what must be one of the most passionate defenses of pie ever written: [Twice a week] is utterly insufficient, as anyone who knows the secret of our strength as a nation and the foundation of our industrial supremacy must admit. Pie is the American synonym of prosperity, and its varying contents the calendar of changing seasons. Pie is the food of the heroic. No pie-eating people can be permanently vanquished.

By the 19th and 20th centuries, apple pie became a symbol of American prosperity and national pride. During the world war eras, it was a symbol of feminine love associated with the warmth of home, and soldiers were proudly proclaiming that they were fighting for “mom and apple pie.” This catchy phrase was supposedly the stock answer of American soldiers in World War II, whenever journalists asked why they were going to war. Eventually apple pie became associated with the U.S. government, another powerful force in its myth-making as an American symbol. In 1935, Congress turned to apple pie to settle a squabble between New York and Oregon, who got into a heated debate over who produced the best apples.

And so, Americans had made apple pie truly their own and it became part of the cultural identity when advertising, news, politics and two world wars transformed this humble dish into a nationalist symbol. With these kinds of narrative, apple pie became emblematic of a very specific American ideal: wholesome, hearty, pure, and noble. Because of its association with powerful factors like the government and military, it was rewritten as a symbolic dish that represented traditional American ideals, and by extension, traditional American families. This symbolism also carried the implication that the dish itself is native to the United States, a mindset that echoes a tradition of willful ignorance of white colonialism. This sort of narrative completely ignores the actual history of apple pie and its origins overseas, and represents a falsely constructed narrative of our culture and history.

Is it fair to say Apple Pie should represent America?

Despite its manufactured symbolism, apple pie actually does embody American values—just not for the reasons we may think. Apple pie is not American because it is wholesome and hearty, and certainly not indigenous because it’s not. It's American because it embodies the way cultures and traditions from all over the world have collided, reshaped, and ingrained themselves into the fabric of this country to define the reality of our national narrative. The phrase “as American as apple pie” is only misleading to those who forget that, except for Native Americans, we are all transplants on this continent, just like apple trees.

In many ways, apple pie embodies the immigrant experience—which, in the end, is the most distinctly American experience of all. A fruit that originated in Kazakhstan starring in a British pastry and loved by people across the United States transcends national and cultural boundaries in much the same way a daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants serving in Congress or an Indian immigrant taking the reins as CEO of Alphabet inc and its subsidiary Google. The United States was woven from the cultural influences, histories, and traditions of countless populations who have made this country their home, creating a richly vibrant culture that is distinct all on its own. Like apples, we’re all transplants.

But wait, not all apple pies are created equal and there are so many different variations. Before I share my recipe, I wanted to explain the different types of apple pies. Who knows, maybe this will help you decide what you love is actually a fancy tarte tatin or a rustic skillet pie or something else altogether like an apple galette.

Different Types of Apple Pie

English Style – This style of apple pie recipes go back all the way to the Middle Ages. The earliest known apple pie recipe in the world is from 1381, and lists the ingredients as good apples, good spices, figs, raisins and pears. The “cofyn” of the recipe is a casing of pastry which is not meant to be eaten.

Dutch Style - Recipes for Dutch apple pie also go back to the Middle Ages. Traditional Dutch apple pie comes in two varieties. There is the appelkruimeltaart, a crumbly buttery streusel topping which also includes lots of different spices. The second variation is the appeltaart, a lattice top style pie which includes the same filling and spices as the previous kind. Both recipes are distinct in that they typically call for flavorings of cinnamon and lemon juice to be added and differ in texture, not taste.

French Style – Just like the Dutch, the French also have a different take on their apple pie. There is the famous tarte tatin, an upside down pie with the fruit being caramelized on top. The second kind has taken social media by craze over the last few years, known as galette which is a freeform pie with a fruit filling and the crust folded partway over the top of the filling. The fruits used in both the tarte tatin and galette is not limited to just apples, it can be what’s in season: pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, even tomatoes!

Swedish Style - The Swedish style apple pie is called smulpaj, which is predominantly a variety of apple crumble, rather than a traditional pastry pie. Often, breadcrumbs are used (wholly or partially) instead of flour, and sometimes rolled oats. It is usually flavored with cinnamon and served with vanilla custard or ice cream.

You know what? Let’s show a moment of appreciation to the English for the crust, the French for perfecting the shape, the Dutch for the intricate latticework, and last but not least the Asians for giving us this everbearing fruit and spices. ‘Tis the season for gratitude.

Recipe — Salted Maple Caramel Apple Pie

Serves: 6-8

If you have come this far and read past all of my lengthy explanations including the different types of apple pie, you are in for a treat. The apple pie recipe I am sharing today is a lattice top apple pie with a glorious salted maple caramel sauce. But fret not, I know not everyone has the time and patience to make a fancy lattice top. If you want to make a single crust (crumb topping) or a double crust (top crust), I have included the directions for them as well. Hallelujah!

I have been told by my American husband that Apple Pie is the most popular pie for Christmas. Simply put, it is a crowd pleaser. I tested this theory among all my coworkers and gal pals and it was a hit! It was served à la mode with some old-fashioned vanilla ice cream and my homemade salted maple caramel sauce. As for the two of us, I don’t think we ever managed to finish a dish this quickly at home. I made this couple weekends ago and all I ate that Sunday was apple pie. And you know what? It was worth it! I have some leftover pie dough and apples, guess what’s about to go down in the kitchen today?! Anyway, I hope you all get to try out this recipe while staying safe and cozy at home.

Merry Chrysler (lol classic!)

and Happy Holidays!

Making the Dough

Pâté Sucrée: French Sweet Crust Pastry

Flour - 1 ½ cups

Sugar - ¼ cup
Salt - ½ tsp
Nutmeg - ½ tsp
Unsalted Butter - 4 oz (frozen)

In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg through a strainer. Grate the frozen butter straight from the freezer using a cheese grater. Toss the fluffy grated butter into the flour mix using a fork or your fingers (make sure they are cold). It will turn into a crumb like texture.

Egg Yolks - 1
Pure Vanilla Extract - ½ tsp
Ice Water - ¼ cup

Whip the egg yolks and vanilla extract, and then add it to the flour mixture. Continue blending until the egg yolks are evenly incorporated and the mixture resembles a fine meal. Stir in the ice water with a fork, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is just moistened enough to gather and mold into a smooth ball.

Note: For the sake of sharing the recipe with everyone, I didn’t use my stand mixer or food processor this time. If you have them, go ahead and use them to reduce time.

Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a smooth disc. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you prefer. The dough may also be frozen for up to 2 months.

Remove one of the chilled dough discs from the fridge, and allow to rest at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to fit in the pie pans. Lift and turn the dough as you work, keeping the work surface dusted with flour to prevent sticking.

Making the Pie Shells

Bottom Shell

Using as much flour as needed, roll one piece into a 14-inch circle; this size allows ample room to line the pie plate, with enough overhangs to form a generous border. At smaller sizes, the dough will fall short, making it difficult to shape the edges, and the thicker dough will not crisp as intended. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate; the dough should be easy to handle, and will not require any special procedures to move. Dust off excess flour with a pastry brush, using it to nestle dough into the very corners of the pan. With scissors or kitchen shears, trim the edge so that it overhangs by 1 1/4 inches all around. Fold overhang over itself to create a thick border that sits on the top edge of the pie plate, not below. Crimp and shape the crust as desired. I used the remaining dough to create a braided lattice for a fancy border design to go around the pie edges. Loosely cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight before baking.

Top Shell

Single-Crusted Pie

A single-crusted pie, also known as a Dutch apple pie is the kind that does not have a top crust. If you are planning on making a single crusted pie, skip forward to the next step which is making the salted maple caramel sauce.

Double-Crusted Pie or Lattice-Top Pie

Now if you are up for making double-crust, which is a pie that has a top layer or if you are making a lattice-top pie, like the one I made, follow the next steps. While the bottom crust is refrigerating, bring out the remaining dough and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough.

For a solid top crust as in double-crusted, roll out the dough disk to a 13-inch circle. Transfer to a baking sheet or parchment-lined cutting board. (The parchment will prevent dough from absorbing any savory odors from the board.) . Loosely cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight before baking.

For a lattice-top pie, like this one, roll into a 9- by 15-inch rectangle instead. Cut into twelve 1-inch-wide strips. Arrange 6 strips across on a parchment-lined cutting board. Form lattice by arranging 6 strips diagonally across first strips. Feel free to add more decorative pieces like flowers and leaves on top of the lattice as well. Loosely cover it with plastic wrap, and freeze (not refrigerate) for at least 2 hours and up to overnight before baking.

Salted Maple Caramel Sauce

This recipe yields about 1 cup of salted maple caramel sauce. If you want to make more, you can double or tripe the recipe. Store the sauce in an airtight mason jar in the fridge. It will last 2-3 weeks, and should stay nice and pourable.

Maple Syrup - 1 cup
Butter - 2 tbsp
Heavy Cream - ¼ cup
Sea Salt - ¼ tsp

Pour the maple syrup into a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom. You will need a pan tall enough to allow the maple syrup to foam up as it boils. Fit the pan with a clip on candy thermometer. Bring the syrup to a boil until it reaches 230 F. Remove from the heat and add the butter, stirring until it melts. Then add the cream and sea salt and mix in gently.

Note: The mixture will be very hot. Do not stir too much. Stir just enough to blend the butter and cream. Too much stirring can cause the mixture to crystallize.

Pour into a heat safe jar and let cool before refrigerating. It will thicken as it cools, and will thicken further in the refrigerator. This recipe makes just over a cup of salted maple caramel sauce.

Making the Pie Filling

Light Brown Sugar - 1 cup
Ground Cinnamon - 2 ½ tsp
Salt - ½ tsp
Ground Ginger - ½ tsp
Ground Nutmeg - ¼ tsp
Ground Cloves - ¼ tsp

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a gallon-sized zip-top bag.

Granny Smith Apples - 10-12 sliced

Peel, quarter, and core the apples, then slice into 1/2-inch wedges. Measure 50 ounces sliced apples (11 rounded cups; 1.45kg) into the bag, seal tightly, and tumble until roughly coated. Macerate at room temperature, flipping the bag occasionally to distribute the syrup, until the apples have lost a third of their volume, at least 3 hours. The apples can be held up to 8 hours in the fridge.

Assembling the Pie

Tapioca Starch - ½ cup
Salted Maple Caramel Sauce - ¼ cup

Add tapioca starch and ¼ cup of the salted maple caramel sauce to the apples, reseal, and toss to combine. Allow the pie filling to sit for at least 15 minutes to absorb the juices before spooning it into the pie shell.

Remove the chilled pie shell from the refrigerator. Pour apple filling into the prepared pie shell, nestling the slices into a flattish mound. You may drizzle more salted maple caramel sauce on top or save it for serving later.

Confession: I actually forgot to mix the tapioca starch and salted maple caramel sauce to the macerated apples. Lol old habits die hard! I poured the pie filling as is and placed the pie in the fridge to chill for an hour. Right before baking, I remembered what I had done wrong! You will notice my pre-baked lattice is so intricately woven yet my post-baked lattice top is irregular. I had to take all of the lattices apart, take the pie filling out, mix the starch and the sauce, you get the whole spiel. It was messy.

Why is it important to include tapioca starch to the pie filling?

If you want to serve picture-perfect wedges of pie, you will need the right thickener to transform the cooked fruit's juices from runny mess to luscious, slice-able filling. Tapioca starch works great as a pie thickener, it doesn't lose its effectiveness when introduced to acidic ingredients, as cornstarch and flour can. And, once cooked, it stays gelled and won't break down over time or turn cloudy.

Alright my friends, now that I have gone great lengths to explain the tapioca starch debacle to make sure you don’t make the same mistake as me, let’s move on to the next step which is very important. This is the part where you decide how the top of your pie will look like. Do you want to make a single crust pie — as in a crumb topping, or a double crust or lattice top pie — as in pastry on top? I have taken extra care to explain and write out the steps for all three types: single crust, double crust and lattice top. Make sure you follow the correct steps for the type of pie you are making.

Single Crust Pie - Make a Pie Topping

Flour - ¾ cup
Brown Sugar - ½ cup
Butter - ⅓ cup, room temperature

In a medium bowl, with a pastry blender or a fork, mix flour, both sugars, and butter until coarsely crumbled. Sprinkle evenly over apples. Skip forward to baking the pie section.

Note: You do not need to make a pie topping if you are making a double crust or lattice top pie.

Double Crust or Lattice Top Pie - Make an Egg Wash

Egg – 1 large
Egg Yolk – 1
Heavy Cream – 2 Tbsp
Salt – 1/8 teaspoon

Whisk egg, yolk, cream, and salt together in a small bowl, then brush over the chilled pie shell edges.

Note: you do not need to make an egg wash if you are making a single-crust pie.

For a Double Crust Pie, stand top crust a few seconds at room temperature until pliable, then drape on top. Pinch to seal both crusts together and trim to 3/4 inch. Tuck the dough under itself, so the pie looks something like a bonnet, or crimp into loose waves (the crust will not hold a tightly crimped design).

For a Lattice Top Pie, remove the lattice top from the freezer. Slide a pizza lifter or large spatula under the lattice and gently move it onto the prepared pie shell. Center the design on the pie top. The lattice top will be quite stiff, making it easy to adjust. When you are happy with the placement and the lattice strips have softened a bit, trim the edges on the lattice and tuck it neatly over and under the bottom dough overhand to seal. Trim the excess dough.

Once you have placed the top crust or lattice top or pie topping to your liking, refrigerate the pie until cold and firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Baking the Pie

When ready to bake, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Bring the pie out from the fridge and egg wash the top of the pie, if it has a top crust . If it’s a single crust, skip the egg wash. Place pie on a parchment-lined aluminum half sheet pan and bake until 195°F (91°C) in the very center, about 75 minutes.

Note: If the pie is browning too quickly (a mistake I made and that’s why some of my pretty leaves and flowers burnt), reduce the temperature to 375°F and cover the edges with foil.

Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to set for at least an hour before serving.

Serving the Pie — the most important step!

Pie à la mode

We love apple pie à la mode at home. A giant slice of warm apple pie, 2-3 scoops of old-fashioned vanilla ice cream on top, and a generous drizzle of salted maple caramel sauce. I actually just recently discovered eating it this way and I am obsesssssseddd! Please don’t ask me how I ate apple pie before or if I even ate it at all. My husband likes to pull my leg and tell me I have discovered all the good things in life and all the good food after I met him. Lol, not true but he does have a point. I have discovered all the American ways of eating and some are not bad, not bad at all, like this à la mode thing and cold milk and warm cookies (gosh, so uncultured).

Pie & Cheddar Cheese

Speaking of culture, while doing research for the perfect apple pie, I discovered yet another American tradition — serving apple pie with cheddar cheese. What? You’ve never had the melty, cheesy version of America’s favorite dessert? Lol me neither! Trust me, I am completely bewildered by this. Turns out, this type of culinary delicacy is prevalent in New England and the upper Midwest and apparently the saying goes “an apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze”. I have all kinds of rated R visual going through my mind. Arafat is 50/50 on this but he did say don’t knock it till you try it! If you are curious and you want to try your apple pie with a slice of cheddar cheese, make sure to reduce the salt in the apple pie filling to ¼ tsp.

Reheating the Pie

This apple pie can be baked one day ahead and stored at room temperature, loosely covered. Leftover pie can be wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature up to 3 days. If you like your pie warm, you may heat it up in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes or more, to restore the crispy crust and saucy filling.

Unfortunately, I never even got around to this step. After dropping it off to my gal pals, we had about only 4 slices left which we devoured in a span of 24 hours. And let me tell you, having it twice a day is utterly, utterly insufficient. Wait, or was it twice a week? Whatever! You know what? Once you have tried a warm slice of this apple pie, with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a very generous drizzle of this salted maple caramel sauce (tis mouthful, pun intended), we will see who is judging who! I think it’s high time I make some more. It’s time to get on with Chrismin (lol gets me every time). Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!