The Recipe Box: Mock Apple Pie

Mock Apple Pie

From the recipe box of A.Nonymous

One of my favorite pie recipes is the infamous 'Mock Apple Pie'.

No apples are in this dish, but because of the spices that are used, it seems similar to an apple pie. Historians date this pie to the early days of the American pioneers, when apples were in short supply. Crafty settler women stumbled into a recipe that embodied the spirit of an apple pie when the red, green and yellow orbs weren't available. Today, clever cooks follow their lead when their own pantries come up short.

It is made with saltine crackers, and the several times I've tried it, it is so amazing that you almost never 'get' that it does not have apples!!

Its a fun, budget desert, that will fool your friends. It's easy to make and surprisingly good. Here is this vintage pie recipe made with saltine crackers and apple pie spice seasonings.

Ingredients:

pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie
1 sleeve saltine crackers
2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar (or use your favorite sugar substitute equivalent)
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon butter
cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Line a 9-inch pie plate with rolled-out pastry. Break saltines coarsely into the pie shell.
2. Combine water, sugar, and cream of tartar in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add lemon juice and peel; cool.
5. Pour the syrup over crackers.
6. Dot with butter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon.
7. Cover with top crust and flute edge.
8. Cut slits into top to allow steam to escape.
9. Bake in a 425° oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and crisp.
10. Serve warm, with ice cream, if desired.

Mock Apple Pie