American Apple Pie (And living with only two seasons)
As half american, I grew up baking tons of apple pies with my Mother. These perfectly flaky, butter-crusted pies filled with juicy apples, covered in warm spices are locked into my Childhood memories.
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The Seasons
In the baking world - there are cakes, dishes and breads that are only introduced into the kitchen following the 4 seasons. For me, living in a subtropical climate on the Canary Islands, we only get to feel very small seasonal changes in weather and actually only distinguish between 2 seasons: The very hot and windy summers (i.e. the wind/kite surf season) and milder winters with less wind (i.e. the swell/surf season).
This is why baking according to the 4 seasons, can make some dishes feel somewhat misplaced for me — like eating heavy stews and a lot of sweets through December which clashes with enjoying the beach, surf and warmer 24°C temperatures.
All though, some dishes help me get into the right holiday spirit or hygge mood (my Danish roots coming through here) and for us to experience more change within the seasons — if not weather wise, then food wise!
Sugar Free
What I want to say with this is, that while Apple Pie is considered a fall/winter cake, we enjoy it all year round and I have had plenty of experience through both childhood and motherhood, making this recipe absolutely perfect for children as there is no sugar added to the apples (the apples are perfectly sweet without) — besides, we like to add something sweet on the side like vanilla ice cream!
If you have followed my journey from the beginning, you must know that I love food, bread, pastries and desserts, but I am also not a fan of refined sugar and like to serve non-guilt food for my small children. Which is why this recipe is sugar free (if you want an extra sweet and gooey pie filling - I also give the option to add sugar to the apples)
Other uses for the pie crust
This savoury butter-crust is actually quite versatile. Use it to make sweet desserts like this apple pie or add blackberries or peaches, or use it for making a savory dish such as a chicken pot pie or quiche.
The crust can be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge or frozen until ready to assemble your apple pie. (See how in the instructions below)