How an Apple Pie Became a Metaphor for My Life

This semester I have learned a lot about myself. One of my most recent realizations is that I have to learn things the hard way. The first time I try something, I ignore other people’s advice, make things complicated, and screw up a lot. However, because these mistakes are so horrendous/memorable, they stick with me and I know what not to do the next time.

E.g.: Apple pie. Last year, I made an apple pie for a Thanksgiving celebration at the orphanage where I volunteer. It took me seven hours to make. Seven hours. During that cooking process, I:

-used a caipirinha churner as a rolling pin

-ruined 2 new saucepans

-broke 1 drinking glass

-burnt 1 batch of sugar syrup that was crucial in the recipe

-discovered that 1/3 of the apples the fruit vendor sold me were rotten

-listened to my host mom say at least 3 times: “My ex-husband used to make the best apple pie in the whole world, the greatest that I ever tasted in my whole life.” 

The pie turned out all right, but I was so stressed out while making it. 

Today, I decided to attempt another apple pie. I re-read the recipe, remembered what went wrong last time, and entered the kitchen in a calm state. The dough, which I had so much trouble making last year, came together like a dream. I knew just what to do to make the latticework crust. I remembered to add vanilla and cinnamon to the sugar syrup. And I didn’t break any kitchen utensils. The pie took just 2 hours to make, five hours less than last time. Thus, I have learned that while it sucks when things don’t work out, at least you can learn from what went wrong. Second time’s the charm.

Enough philosophizing..click below for the recipe I have perfected. 

American Apple Pie

Pie Crust: Follow this amazing step-by-step recipe from Joy the Baker. (Secret hint: don’t buy buttermilk. Just add 1 Tbs of lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Voila!)

After the two balls of dough have chilled, take one ball of dough out of the fridge and put in on the counter. Use a rolling pin and lots of flour to roll the dough into a 1/8 inch thick circle. Place the circle in a pie pan, use a pastry brush to brush the crust with a beaten egg, and put the pan in the fridge.

Now, put a placemat on the counter, dust it with flour, and get out the other ball of dough. Roll this ball into a large, thin rectangle, about 12 inches wide by 8 inches tall. Cut the rectangle into eight or nine rectangular strips, each of which should be around 1 inch wide. You will have a three inch wide rectangle left over. No worries. Put the placemat with the dough strips in the fridge.

Pie Filling: Based on the “Apple Pie by Grandma Ople” recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Read this tutorial on how to make a latticework crust.

2. Peel, core, and slice 5-6 apples. I recommend a mix of Pink Lady, Granny Smith, and Fuji. Put the apples in a big bowl.

3. Measure out the following ingredients and put them each in separate bowls, so you won’t have to run around later: 113g (1 stick) butter, 3 Tbs flour, a little less than 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbs cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 Tbs vanilla extract.

4. Cut the butter into small chunks and melt it in a saucpan. Add the flour to form a paste. Bring the paste to a boil, then reduce the temperature and let it simmer.

5. As soon as the paste starts to simmer, add the water, white sugar, and brown sugar. Stir together, and add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Keep it simmering, and stir occasionally. Take the saucepan off the heat once the syrup starts to solidify- it should be semi thick and gooey, but not solid.

6. Pour the syrup into the bowl of apples. Toss the apples so that they are evenly coated. 

7. Take the pie pan out of the fridge. Put the syrup/apple mixture onto the crust, layering the apples evenly.

8. Take the dough strips out of the fridge. Make a lattice work crust on top of the apples using the nine strips of dough. Use the leftover dough to make a border of crust around the pie.

9. Brush the latticework crust with a beaten egg. 

10. Put the pie in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. It should be light golden brown.

11. Let cool 10 minutes and serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Life is beautiful.