About Apple Pie

You have probably heard the cliché comparing someone's American patriotism to apple pie. While that saying might bring to mind a cozy country home, an apron-wearing mom and kids with bright smiles and fresh-scrubbed faces, apple pie is hardly an American culinary creation. This much loved, sweet and cinnamon-spiced treat is an autumn favorite, but well received any day of the year.

History

In the late 1300's, Europeans dined on an early version of apple pies. The crusts, known rather morbidly as coffins, were made without sugar and only served as a container rather than an edible part of the pie. By the mid-1500's, sugar was easier to come by and the pie coffins soon became a sweet part of the treat. Upon learning that crabapples were the only native apple tree in the Americas, English colonists brought apple trees to the new land. By the 1800's apple pie was common in inns and restaurants throughout the land.

Types

There are several types of apple pie. The standard apple pie consists of a bottom and top crust, often of the lattice variety, with apple filling between the two. Deep-dish apple pie is created in this same manner, only using a deeper pie pan and therefore stuffed with even more of the spiced filling. Dutch apple pie consists of a bottom crust with apple filling topped with a streusel or crumb topping.

Features

Apple pies are made using a cooking variety of apples, such as Granny Smith or Jonathon apples. These fruits tend to have a sweet yet tart flavor as well as a firm, crisp consistency that holds up well when baked. Typical apple pie filling is comprised of peeled, sliced apples; sugar; butter or shortening; and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. These ingredients create a sugar-and-spice flavor with a gooey consistency that makes it an ideal comfort food.

Benefits

While apple pie is a sugary dessert and, as with any sweet treats, should be enjoyed in moderation, this indulgence offers health benefits as well. The spices commonly used in apple pie recipes---mainly the cinnamon---help regulate blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. Apples help lower cholesterol and provide healthful fiber. In addition, both cinnamon and apples offer antibacterial properties, aiding the growth of beneficial probiotics and warding off illnesses.

Expert Insight

It would be difficult to bake an apple pie that does not taste at least a little yummy. However, there are some tips that expert bakers use to make a superlative pie. Soften a few pats of butter and spread it onto the rim of the bottom crust. Sprinkle the buttered dough with cinnamon sugar before topping with the second crust for a delicious hidden touch. Also, using locally grown apples will give you the most flavorful pie possible. Finally, use more apples than you believe you need. The apples shrink as they bake, so a mountainous pie will become a full pie, whereas a full pie can become a caved-in one.

Resources

• Apple Pie Recipes