Apple Pie

Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 7:13pm ·

I made a fresh apple pie this afternoon from some apples one of my piano students had picked for me at an orchard.  After all these years, I must confess I have rarely made an apple pie that I can remember.  I don't know why as I love apple pie.  It can't be easier to make than following the recipe on the tapioca box.  I don't know though, one person and an apple pie probably is not the best tonic for lowering my blood pressure and cholesterol; but I so enjoyed baking a pie.  You'd think it would have been a regular dessert all those years, but no, not at all.

I still remember the first pie I made after I got married, Grandmother's recipe for custard pie.  The second pie I made was Grandmother's recipe for pecan pie.  Other than pumpkin pie, those are about the only pies I made from scratch.  I don't know if making instant pudding for pie counts as homemade pie.  Any way, I hope this doesn't mean I'm any less American because of my confession of ignoring baking apple pie most of my life. Usually I'd opt out for something I thought easier like Ozark pudding made with apples or just a baked apple with cinnamon.  The thing is, there is nothing easier than baking an apple pie.  It is possibly a little more difficult if you make the crust from scratch.  Another confession, though I know how to make pie crust from scratch, I rarely do.  A frozen pie crust is too simple and quick.  Besides if I don't see the shortening I can convince myself there isn't any in the crust.  

Probably these days, I should be satisfied with a fresh apple and forgo the apple pie, tasty as it might be.  The only thing that might have made this pie any better would have been Granny Smith apples and homemade crust.  It makes me wonder though as I talk about it why apple pie is so "American."  You know the expression "as American as apple pie."  However, for some of us over 65 and in the BP squad, we should change that slogan to "as American as a fresh apple."  In the meantime, I will enjoy my apple pie; and if you are in the neighborhood, please stop by for a slice.