Good Apple Pie: A General Recipe for Success

Although I have never participated in making my favorite dessert, a home made apple pie, I have observed my mother enough now to know what it takes, ingredients and beyond, to make a delicious apple pie, at least to my liking.

The first factor is time. Apple pie at its worst is when it is a rushed, last minute attempt at a dessert because the host thinks it is a general fan favorite, but what people often do not realize is that people do not like apple pie, they like good apple pie. It seems obvious I know, but, at least for me, apple pie has the potential to be the best and worst dessert at the same time, and taking the time to slow-bake the pie is the first step to make it great. Time is also important because, if you are in a rush, you will probably skip some steps; one is using a store bought crust. A common mistake even among veteran pie bakers, cutting corners and using a store bought crust is a clear indicator of the level of care you put into your work, and your guests will take notice. Make it thick or thin, or add some cinnamon or sugar. Whatever you do though, make the crust your own! It does not take a master chef to create good pie crust, just creativity and care. It may not look as neat and classically American as the 1950’s pie cooling on a window sill, but in my experience the best tasting dishes are often the ones that are the least aesthetically pleasing, and once the freshly made crust hits your tasters’ tongues, they will forget all about any misshapenness.

These tips are pretty straightforward but are often forgotten, resulting in shameful excuses for pie, and I am trying to keep these travesties to a minimum. However a last detail that I have seen exclusively in my mother’s apple pies is the addition of rhubarb. Personally, I enjoy everything tart, and apple pie with the occasional overdose of cinnamon and sugar is sometimes too sweet for me. If you are not a fan of tartness, and even if you love tart treats, use care when adding rhubarb because even a small concentration of it will have an effect on the taste.

So there you have it: a general recipe for success in making a good apple pie. Nothing specific, you can find those details in any cookbook. This is to serve as a reminder to any potential pie maker to handle the process with care and diligence. No throwing the Pillsbury Doughboy encased pie in the oven at 3 p.m. for a 5:30 p.m. dinner. If you know that is unacceptable, why would you serve the finished product to your guests? Take the time to do it right, and the delicious results will speak for themselves.