Description
Elizabeth Baird writes: Dutch apple pie may be a signature dish of Waterloo County, but my mother’s version, which she called schnitz pie, comes from neighbouring Perth County. It’s creamier than a standard Dutch apple pie and shifts the spotlight from a streusel topping to big pieces of fruit. Our family, my father especially, so loved schnitz pies that my mother made them through the seasons, starting with rhubarb in the spring and continuing with peaches in August and topping the year off with apples when Northern Spies hit the market.
Scale
Ingredients
- Pastry for a deep, 10-inch pie shell
- 5 medium-large apples, such as Northern Spy or Golden Delicious (about 2 pounds)
- 1/4 cup whipping cream, divided
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg
Instructions
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Fit into a deep, 10-inch pie plate. Trim to about 3/4 inch from the rim; fold the overhang under and flute.
- Peel and halve the apples and cut each half into 3 wedges; remove the core from each wedge. Arrange the wedges snugly in a single layer in the pie shell, fudging a bit if necessary by trimming the piece to make them all fit. Drizzle with half of the cream.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until crumbly; sprinkle over the apples. Drizzle with the remaining cream; dust with cinnamon.
- Bake in the bottom third of a 450°F oven for 15 minutes; reduce the heat to 350°F and bake until the apples are tender and the pastry is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Watch carefully and if the fluted edge of the pastry browns too quickly, shield the pastry with strips of foil. Let the pie cool on a rack. For divine results, enjoy the pie within 4 hours of the time it emerges from the oven.
Notes
This recipe is published with permission. It appears in Canada’s Favourite Recipes by Rose Murray & Elizabeth Baird. Published by Whitecap ©2013.