In the United States, this dessert is considered one of the most important expressions of one’s identity. Indeed, the idiom “as American as apple pie”, which is deeply rooted in consciousness, means nothing more than an indication of something typical and familiar to Americans. Where does such love and affection for this product imported from distant countries come from? And how did it take root here, transformed and received popular recognition?
Apple Pie: The Story of the American Symbol
Before the arrival of the first settlers from the European continent, America knew nothing about apple trees. Many years passed before the trees they planted grew and apples appeared on them, and then methods for their storage and use were found, including the production of juices and ciders. By that time, almost all European countries had various recipes for baking using apples. They were also brought to America, but by a new wave of emigrants, for example Tarte Tatin from France, Charlotte and apple strudel from Germany and Austria, Crumble from England and many others.
Types of Apple Pies
This is not to say that they were not made before. On the contrary, as it is known the very first confectionery, baked using stale bread, was covered with apples. But where the volume of production increased sharply, a new quality would certainly have appeared. And then, having gained a foothold in consciousness, turn into the famous “American apple pie”. But what special qualities does it possess, if most of the sources that speak of the American pie describe in detail Dutch, English, and Swedish recipes. There are also Austrian, German, Italian, Japanese, etc. Each new wave of emigrants brought with them the national secrets of apple pie production. The simplest of them were Swedish. There, beautifully sliced apple slices were laid on top of a regular pie from above and baked all this together.
3 Simple Recipes for Apple Pie
Let’s look at some apple pie recipes.
Paris Apple Pie – Tarte Tatin
This dessert is used with whipped cream or French creme fraiche – a fermented milk product that resembles sour cream but is thicker and less sour. It is used in desserts, served with fruit, fruit or vegetable pies and added to sauces or soups, as it does not curl when heated. You can buy it at the store or cook at home.
For cooking, mix 250 ml of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of buttermilk in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let stand at room temperature for 8 to 48 hours until the mass acquires the desired density. Refrigerate before use.
Preparing the Pastry
To prepare the puff pastry, pour 8.3 oz (235 grams) of flour into a large bowl and make a deepening in the center. Pour in 90 ml of water, add half a tablespoon of salt, a spoonful of vinegar and 1 oz (30 grams) of melted butter and mix the liquids. Slowly stirring with a fork, add flour to the liquid from the edges of the recess, then knead a sweet not too cool dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for two to three hours.
After remove the dough from the refrigerator, unfold and lay on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a square or triangular layer about 2.5 cm thick. With a rolling pin, roll the frozen butter into a layer about 2 cm thick. Then put the butter in the middle of the rolled dough. Fold the edges of the dough over the oil, wrap again in cling film and put in the refrigerator for one hour.
Put the dough again on a work surface sprinkled with fresh flour and roll it into a rectangular layer 25 x 38 cm. Fold the dough in three layers, like a letter folded into an envelope, then rotate it. Roll it again into a rectangular layer of the same size as the first time, fold it up, wrap in cling film and put it again in the refrigerator for about one hour.
Repeat the procedure three to four times, each time rolling and folding the dough sheet twice and putting it in the refrigerator for about one hour. After the last rolling of the dough, keep it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and then put it on a work surface sprinkled with fresh flour and roll it to the desired thickness.
Preparing the Apples
Mix apples with lemon juice. In a pan with a thick bottom, with a removable handle with a diameter of 30 cm (preferably with a non-stick coating), melt the oil over medium heat. Sprinkle the butter evenly with sugar and cook for 6–8 minutes, until it melts and becomes amber. In this case, the pan should be tilted and rotated, but do not mix the product itself. Gently lay on top of the sugar-butter mixture a quarter of the apples in one layer, tamping them lightly.
Reduce the heat and continue cooking for 30–35 minutes, occasionally tilting the pan, picking up the sauce with a spoon and pouring it on apples until they are soft and completely covered with a caramel mixture. (If the caramel starts to burn, turn down the heat.)
Remove the pan from the heat. Preheat the oven to 374 °F (190 ° C). On a floured surface, roll puff pastry into a round layer a little wider than the diameter of the pan and about 3 mm thick.
Cover the pan with apples with dough, bend the edges with a small spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is full, crispy and golden. Put on the kitchen mittens, put a large plate on the pan upside down and turn everything together.
Remove the pie from the pan and serve it warm. Add a little whipped cream to each serving.
German Apple Pie: Quick and Easy
You don’t need to spend half a day preparing the pie: you don’t have to wait until the dough rises. You will need to mix the ingredients, chop the apples, form a pie and send it to bake in the oven. That’s all.
Ingredients:
- 7 oz (200 grams) of margarine or butter
- 5.3 oz (150 grams) of granulated sugar
- 10.5 oz (300 grams) of flour
- 0.5 oz (15 grams) of baking powder
- a quarter of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 7 apples
- 5 eggs
- 0.3 oz or 10 grams of vanillin
- a pinch of salt
- icing sugar to decorate the cake
Instructions:
- Mix softened butter, eggs, granulated sugar, vanillin, salt in one bowl. Beat this mixture. Next, add flour to it and knead the dough.
- Now you need to wash the apples, cut the peel and cut the core. Cut the apples into small slices, sprinkled with cinnamon, then add this to the dough. Shuffle everything.
- Cover the baking sheet with baking paper and lay the dough on it. Next, bake the cake in the oven at a temperature of 392 °F (200 ° C). It will take 25-35 minutes.
- You can decorate the cake with icing sugar, wait a bit until it cools down, and then serve it to the table.
Charlotte – Apple Pie
This apple pie is lush and delicious, so it can be cooked for breakfast, as well as put on a festive table. Both home and guests will like the apple pie “Charlotte”!
To prepare this dessert:
- Beat with a mixer 4 eggs until the lush foam is formed
- Add 1 cup sugar and beat well (Sugar must be sprinkled in small portions)
- After that add 1 cup flour and mix
- Take 4 apples and cut into small slices 3 mm thick
- Mix apples with the dough
- Put the dough in a pre-oiled baking dish
Try These Simple Recipes for Apple Pie!
There you have it. 3 simple recipes for apple pie that you can try over the weekend. All you need now is some fresh apples.
Comment below if you have tried it or if you have other simple apple pie recipes.
