# Whatever happened to apple pie?



## Dr. Feelgood (Jun 12, 2015)

In the restaurants of America, desserts are taking a beating. If you'd like to have some sadistic fun the next time you eat out, when your server asks if you'd like dessert, say "I sure would like a piece of apple pie." That deer-in-the-headlights look you'll get is priceless (NB: This doesn't work at Marie Callender's; they actually have pie. Apparently they have cornered the pie market). After a preliminary stutter, your server will say, "We don't have apple pie, but we DO have three-kinds-of-cake-five-kinds-of-ice-cream-with-chocolate-strawberry-and-butterscotch-topping-whipped-cream-nuts-gummi-bears-sardines-and-a-cherry-on-top* (Every chain restaurant in America serves this. Probably three quarters of their customers are families with children, and when I was a kid I would have killed for something like this. It probably would have killed me, too)." There will be two other dessert options: tiramisu (made with cornstarch) and cheesecake (made with styrofoam). And nobody even KNOWS what tapioca is.** What happened to simple desserts? Does anybody know? 

*Just kidding about the sardines.

**There are places in Boston where you can get Indian pudding. Do it.


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## luvmybhm (Jun 12, 2015)

i am not sure if you have this chain in your area...but we go to Bob Evans and they always have pie. decent pie, not out of this world, but decent.

i can also usually find apply pie at golden corral. 

i agree on the desserts getting crazy thing. if you go to most of the national chains you get all sorts of stuff...except the classics. i am usually up for trying fun new desserts, but sometimes you just want pie.

ps. if you do go to bob evans try the biscuits. they are awesome.


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## GoodDaySir (Jun 18, 2015)

I know its very unAmerican, but Ive never been a fan of apple pie. I think its the mushy apples that grosses me out. I dont really like any fruit pie because of that reason.


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## Tad (Jun 18, 2015)

GoodDaySir said:


> I know its very unAmerican, but Ive never been a fan of apple pie. I think its the mushy apples that grosses me out. I dont really like any fruit pie because of that reason.



Burn the witch! 

But have you ever tried Dutch Apple Pie? It starts with dried apples, so ends up with a very different consistency than regular apple pie.


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## Dr. Feelgood (Jun 19, 2015)

GoodDaySir said:


> I know its very unAmerican, but Ive never been a fan of apple pie. I think its the mushy apples that grosses me out. I dont really like any fruit pie because of that reason.



I don't blame you. Fruit pies made with fresh fruit or ( as Tad points out) dried fruit are not mushy. Fruit pies made with canned or frozen fruit usually are. Fresh fruit is more expensive, however, so commercially made pies are highly likely to contain mushy fruit (if you can find it amongst all the cornstarch)


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## one2one (Jun 20, 2015)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> I don't blame you. Fruit pies made with fresh fruit or ( as Tad points out) dried fruit are not mushy. Fruit pies made with canned or frozen fruit usually are. Fresh fruit is more expensive, however, so commercially made pies are highly likely to contain mushy fruit (if you can find it amongst all the cornstarch)



This is why I never order pie when I'm out and make fruit crisp at home instead.


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## luvmybhm (Jun 22, 2015)

hub eats apple pie with slices of thin cut cheddar on top. i tried it, but could not get into the flavor. i looked it up and it is a thing...anyone else eat cheese on it like that?


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## lucca23v2 (Jun 22, 2015)

luvmybhm said:


> hub eats apple pie with slices of thin cut cheddar on top. i tried it, but could not get into the flavor. i looked it up and it is a thing...anyone else eat cheese on it like that?



I have tasted it this way. It is not bad, but I prefer my apple pie warm with ice cream.


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## Dr. Feelgood (Jun 22, 2015)

Apple pie with cheese was a fairly standard breakfast among the pioneers who settled the Great Plains. Apples were dried, and milk turned into cheese, so that the settlers would have food for the winter. From there it was just a step to a nourishing morning meal that provided carbohydrates, protein, and enough fat to make you feel full. I've had warm apple pie with cheddar for breakfast at a B&B in Missouri, and I treasure the memory! :eat2:


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## Tad (Jun 22, 2015)

luvmybhm said:


> hub eats apple pie with slices of thin cut cheddar on top. i tried it, but could not get into the flavor. i looked it up and it is a thing...anyone else eat cheese on it like that?



I'm not crazy about that myself, but my Father has a line that he repeats every time that there is apple pie (and they have apple trees in the back yard, so apple pie is not an uncommon occurrence): "Apple pie without cheese / is like a kiss without a squeeze." Which, when I write it out, just sounds more creepy than funny, but yah..... some people insist on that combo.


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## Surlysomething (Jun 22, 2015)

I think most restaurants keep seasonal flavours on hand. We have a lot of strawberry rhubarb and cherry pies at this time of year and that's FINE by me.

:eat2:


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## agouderia (Jun 22, 2015)

Back to the OP's question - I fear poor apple pie has image as well as practical trends working in it's disfavor.
Interesting to note that apple pie's international step-siblings like Tarte Tatin, & Apfelstrudel are suffering exactly the same fate - for the same reasons. 

I absolutely love fruit pies, no matter which fruit is in them - and apple can be anything but plain if well made (I got a great recipe from a one time seminar participant's grandmother, with fresh grated ginger and orange zest, fabulous. Good is also Normandie style which raisins soaked in Calvados liquor and nuts. And of course you need the right type of apples - Dutch Boskoop or French Antoinette are best). Sorry - talking about recipes tends to get me carried away....

Apple pie's 

a) image problem

Many restaurants try to be chic, trendy, sophisticated, international, fusion, whatever. That means have as many exotic sounding dishes on the menu, to underline this claim.

Apple pie is in contrast .... well: peace, love and apple pie. Something we all want but take for granted when we have it. It's image is of being conventional, old-fashioned, unimaginative, doesn't make much of a show if you have it on the menu - or actually serving it on a plate ....

Despite it's unassuming character, it is

b) challenging in practice

Ice cream with toppings imo doesn't qualify as serious restaurant dessert. All it means is they have a freezer, a shelf full of bottles and can use a spoon ... 

Making a good apple pie from scratch actually isn't that easy - and semi-prepared convenience food or cake mixes don't get you very far. Even if you buy ready made dough, getting the filling right, fitting the lid requires some skill - and time as well as the right ingredients.
Many restaurants work with un-/semi-skilled kitchen staff or pre-fabricated food, so apple pie isn't for them. 

Some of the less enthusiastic comments regarding apple pie here show that these unfortunate posters have too often been served apple pie that had a bad recipe, a non-talented baker and probably sub-par ingredients.

Apple pie doesn't keep well (at home it's okay, but not for restaurant serving).
If you're a quality restaurant with freshly made food - it means you have to make it every day (unless it's a special), maybe even twice for the lunch and dinner shift (see the above time issue). A cheese cake or a tiramisù will keep in the fridge, with some aroma ingredients it will even have more flavor on day two or three. 

Set the wage costs needed to make a good apple pie in relation to what you can charge for it (.... and for instance compare that to a chocolate mousse) - it's also not the best deal for the restaurateur.


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## Surlysomething (Jun 22, 2015)

Pie. Who knew there was so much to say about it.


Haha :eat2:


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## MattB (Jun 22, 2015)

Surlysomething said:


> Pie. Who knew there was so much to say about it.
> 
> 
> Haha :eat2:



Every day is a wonderful day for pie.

My family did the cheese on apple pie thing, I eschewed that. Ice cream or bust for me...


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## agouderia (Jun 22, 2015)

Surlysomething said:


> Pie. Who knew there was so much to say about it.
> 
> 
> Haha :eat2:



Baking is a serious issue. You can never say enough about it.


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## Tad (Jun 22, 2015)

In my Mom's generation/sub-culture, pie was clearly of great importance. It was like your CV of domestic capability, or something--I never understood the code, but it was one of those things you can feel in the air. 

As for me, meh, I like pie, pie is good. Nothing complicated.


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## Surlysomething (Jun 22, 2015)

Very true. I see a banana bread in my future. :eat2:




agouderia said:


> Baking is a serious issue. You can never say enough about it.


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## bobduhh (Nov 20, 2015)

GoodDaySir said:


> I know its very unAmerican, but Ive never been a fan of apple pie. I think its the mushy apples that grosses me out. I dont really like any fruit pie because of that reason.


 Fortunately Apple Pie is not American; rather it's Dutch. That being said, Shari's Cafe and Pies has a fantastic Granny's Apple Pie.


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## Orchid (Nov 26, 2015)

Homebaked apple pie, the pie crust recipe from the old BHG cookbook 1978 and to that I add just a hint of nutmeg/cinnamon to add some flavour to the pie crust.
Modern apples do not have much taste so I try to have several types together. Use cane sugar or light brown sugar with some cinnamon or apple pie spice mix. I know USA sells this but never seen it here in EU. Should you like adding raisins to the mix try to get plump recent raisins and not old stock dried out raisins that have been sitting there.
Modernize that apple pie add some cherries or some blackcurrants. The site www.bhg.com has some nice apple pie and other pie recipes.
When I still used to get around and still travelled abroad, the germans have nice apple pie, one could order that with coffee at bakeries where one could have coffee & cake.


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## luvmybhm (Dec 19, 2015)

on the pie topic...

i was making pumpkin pie over the thanksgiving holiday. while i have made my own crust in the past, it is a messy process and i wanted to cheat and get a ready made crust.

you would be surprised at how many pie crusts, frozen or ready made, still are made with lard. i get the flaky crust thing, but i just can't get into the lard thing. i tried most of the big name frozen crusts and even the store brands. the only one i found without it was mrs. smith's. it took me several stores to find those. just wanted to mention so that any vegan/vegetarians out there are aware the old school process is still out there.


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## CleverBomb (Dec 20, 2015)

Orchid said:


> Modern apples do not have much taste



THIS. 

So very much this. 

Especially in the quantities required for industrial production (which is what you'd see in chain restaurants, and probably most others unless they're specifically sourcing artisinal ingredients), you're just not going to see high-quality apples. They've been hybridized and whatnot to survive transportation to the processing facility without spoilage. Consumer-grade ones also have to look nice on arrival and have maximum shelf life. Flavor is a far lower priority.


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## Skye23 (Dec 27, 2015)

Costco makes a pretty good apple pie, its huge and its like $9.99 or something. Whenever we have a pot luck or community dinner I bring one of those as a place-holder for the dessert table and there's rarely very much or any left when the meal is over.


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## luvmybhm (Feb 21, 2016)

on the apple pie subject...

i went to lunch with a friend about a week or so ago. we went to a local place that is very family friendly and has excellent hamburgers. there was a little sign on the table that said 'try our apple pie milkshake'. so of course i did!

i ordered it and the waitress says 'we are out of brown sugar ice cream, but i know we have the pie...let me check'. they actually blend a slice of apple pie into a milkshake. since they did not have the brown sugar ice cream i had mine with vanilla. they shake in a hint of cinnamon. it was amazing! i thought it would be weird to have the itty bitty pie chunks in it...they were super small and didn't bother me. SO GOOD!


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## agouderia (Feb 22, 2016)

Orchid said:


> Modern apples do not have much taste so I try to have several types together. Use cane sugar or light brown sugar with some cinnamon or apple pie spice mix. I know USA sells this but never seen it here in EU. Should you like adding raisins to the mix try to get plump recent raisins and not old stock dried out raisins that have been sitting there.
> Modernize that apple pie add some cherries or some blackcurrants.



Agree as far as many modern apple varieties go Orchid.

I don't know where in the EU you live, but from my cross-EU apple baking experience I can recommend the following apple varieties:

F = Antoinette
D/NL/B/Lux: Boskoop, Elstar, Pinova
I/GR: Jonathan

Raisins get even better if you soak them in rum/Cognac or a French apple spirit (Calvados or Pommeau) beforehand. 

I have yet to try the blackcurrants, but I've used dried cherries, a base of cowberry preserve - bith very good - or my new favorite for apple strudel (pie's Austrian cousin..) are dried cranberries - tastes great!



luvmybhm said:


> 'try our apple pie milkshake'.



I confess to being a dogmatic food Puritan when it comes to this type of creation. Please - no cookie dough in ice cream, or apple pie in milk shake or cheese cake flavoured yoghurt (was offered that for dessert today). Mushing everything up that's supposed to convince by it's texture or needs to be baked or whatever - uuuggh - no thank you!


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## Rojodi (Feb 22, 2016)

Local Greek restaurant/diner still makes apple pies daily. You just need to get there before 2 PM or the old people and truckers have it gone!


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## Dr. Feelgood (Feb 22, 2016)

agouderia said:


> Mushing everything up that's supposed to convince by it's texture or needs to be baked or whatever - uuuggh - no thank you!



I can't rep you for this, but I can swear undying allegiance. :bow::bow::bow:


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## agouderia (Feb 23, 2016)

Rojodi said:


> Local Greek restaurant/diner still makes apple pies daily.



Do they make actual American style apple pie? Or more like Greek miló pitá? Meaning thin flaky filó dough, sometimes multi-layered (in contrast to a pie crust) with a filling with honey, cinnamon & walnut?


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## Rojodi (Feb 23, 2016)

agouderia said:


> Do they make actual American style apple pie? Or more like Greek miló pitá? Meaning thin flaky filó dough, sometimes multi-layered (in contrast to a pie crust) with a filling with honey, cinnamon & walnut?



'Murican style. They make Greek desserts - your example and baklava - all day!


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## Ho Ho Tai (Feb 23, 2016)

luvmybhm said:


> hub eats apple pie with slices of thin cut cheddar on top. i tried it, but could not get into the flavor. i looked it up and it is a thing...anyone else eat cheese on it like that?



An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze


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## Ho Ho Tai (Feb 23, 2016)

Tad said:


> Burn the witch!
> 
> But have you ever tried Dutch Apple Pie? It starts with dried apples, so ends up with a very different consistency than regular apple pie.



Coming home from Duluth last Sunday, we stopped in Moose Lake for coffee and a treat. The Lazy Moose restaurant has been through several changes of owners, names and menus. We have been there a number of times. When we were more adventurous, that was our northern stop when we were biking. The link takes you directly to their menu. Everything is cooked on-site. It was Mrs Ho Ho's birthday and we could have had our birthday celebration right there.

I was just going to have a cup of coffee and a bowl of chili, but the dessert counter beckoned and I wound up with a piece of Dutch Apple pie. Oh, that was good, including a very tender, flaky crust (lard, I'm sure).

Give it a try and get back to me. I'm the complaint department.


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## traceg (May 17, 2017)

Ive at a few pies over the years and loved every one:blush:


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## DragonFly (May 18, 2017)

Ho Ho Tai said:


> An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze



Love the quote! When I lived in Alabama one of the little country meat and 3 always had an apple and cheese dish that had a crust. Same concept. If you are lucky some places even had pineapple and cheese casserole. Oh how I miss some things in the south......


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## Dr. Feelgood (May 18, 2017)

DragonFly said:


> If you are lucky some places even had pineapple and cheese casserole. Oh how I miss some things in the south......



Miss no longer! There are at least four recipes for pineapple-cheese casserole at www.allrecipes.com (plus a recipe for pineapple enchiladas that I have GOT to try).


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## Rojodi (May 18, 2017)

I live an hour's drive from where Pie A La Mode was created - Cambridge Inn, Cambridge NY.

Cheese on a pie is not an upstate NY thing. Some restaurants offered that choice in the 80s and 90s, haven't since.


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## Leem (May 18, 2017)

I hate store bought apple pie, but home made apple pie is amazing. I think it is one of the best desserts. I also love blueberry and cherry:eat1k ok ....all pies if made right beat most chain restaurant's desserts. 

I recently had an apple pie with a cheddar crust that was Devine. I had never had a cheese crust but it was crispy and savory and complemented the apple to perfection. The friend who made it said it was an old New England tradition, especially in Massachusetts. 

My mom makes a pie that is similar to a Reese's but even better almost a cheesecake peanut butter filling with a thick fudge poured on top. Ah pie....


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## Green Eyed Fairy (May 21, 2017)

The best, most tempting apple pie to me is more of an apple crisp...with vanilla ice cream....with a hot buttery caramel sauce all over it.
Just saying.....


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## Tad (May 21, 2017)

my mother has long been part of a group their church that's makes a great whack of pies to sell at the Christmas bazaar each year -- it was a pretty good fund raiser and pulled people into the bazaar, where they may buy other stuff.

But they didn't do it this past year; at 78 my mom was one of the youngest in the group, and their leader decided to hang up her apron when she turned ninety, and the rest decided they were getting too old for it too.

Their church has a fair mix of ages, so I'm not sure if they are the last of the generation that all learner pie making as a basic domestic skill, or just the last to volunteer their time, but I suspect at least a good part of the former.


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## plushkitty (May 28, 2017)

Tad said:


> But they didn't do it this past year; at 78 my mom was one of the youngest in the group, and their leader decided to hang up her apron when she turned ninety, and the rest decided they were getting too old for it too.
> 
> Their church has a fair mix of ages, so I'm not sure if they are the last of the generation that all learner pie making as a basic domestic skill, or just the last to volunteer their time, but I suspect at least a good part of the former.



I'm in my thirties and I bake a darn good pie! Coconut banana cream and lemon sour cream are my specialties, but I can do apple, cherry, pumpkin, pecan, all the classics. My mom and grandma didn't bake very good pies, so I had to teach myself from cookbooks and the internet. Maybe with the rise of internet tutorials and foodie culture we'll see a resurgence of pie baking. I have a friend several years younger than me who makes a Concord grape pie that's to die for, she won a blue ribbon at the county fair!


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## Leem (May 28, 2017)

I have never heard of grape pie before is it a hot or cold pie?

Also I bake a lot of pies from scratch during the winter and some of my friends also bake pies.


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## plushkitty (May 28, 2017)

Leem said:


> I have never heard of grape pie before is it a hot or cold pie?



It's a hot pie, just like most fruit pies. The taste and texture remind me of blackberry or blueberry pie.


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## Fuzzy (May 31, 2017)

I'm not a whole fruit pie person. I only make pecan, lemon icebox, and keylime.


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## ampleauroradelicatefame (Jun 9, 2017)

I love apple pie! My grandpa makes the best apple pie :smitten:


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