Apple Swamp Pie

Hello and welcome to the first edition of Dessert?: An Exploration in Recipes! Over the next ten weeks, I will be publishing recipes that I’ve created, accompanied by plenty of background information on the desserts that inspired them.

We’re starting at the same place my baking journey did: apple pie. Arguably the single most iconic American dessert, apple pie was the first thing I ever learned to bake. I have fond memories of gathering with my classmates at school to make thanksgiving pies, so I thought this would be a fitting beginning to this project. The recipe I’ve created for you is an Apple Swamp Pie, inspired by the very best way to serve a classic apple pie: with vanilla ice cream. Here, I combine apple pie with swamp pie, a style of pie (which I learned about from cookbook author Erin Jeanne Mcdowell) in which a fruit pie, typically made with berries or peaches, is “swamped” with custard midway through baking, creating a silky and delicious mess. My interpretation uses a simple, mostly classic apple pie filling topped with an oat crumble and then drenched in an easy vanilla custard that perfumes the pie with its luscious, floral aroma and creamy texture.

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History

Apple pie, though quintessentially American, actually dates back to (as far as we know) late 14th century England, when the first known recipe for what we now call apple pie was published in the Forme of Cury, a collection of recipes credited to the “Master Cooks of King Richard II.” This recipe instructed readers to “Tak gode Applys and gode Spycis and Figys and reyfons and Perys and wan they are wel brayed colourd wyth Safron wel and do yt in a cofyn and do yt forth to bake wel.” This pie would’ve been considerably different from more contemporary versions; the additions of figs, raisins, and pears, as well as the sturdy hot water crust common in England at the time, set it apart from the simple, flaky pie common today. The many ingredients used for this pie (particularly the spices) are indicative of the recipe's royal origins; this was a pie meant meant to symbolize wealth and abundance.

Moving on from medieval England, we have the first American apple pie recipe, written by Amelia Simmons in American Cookery, generally considered the first American cookbook. In contrast with the English recipe, Simmons chose a simpler approach, using ingredients far more accessible to home cooks at the time. Her recipe utilizes a pie crust (“puff paste”) derived from French techniques that’s much closer to what we know today. Simmons provides several apple filling recipes. The first uses apples that are stewed and

strained through a sieve, which would have resulted in a thick, applesauce-like mixture flavored with sugar, lemon, and rose water. The second uses dried apples hydrated with water and boiled with cranberries. The third, though, is most similar to modern apple pie. “Buttered Apple Pie” instructs readers to thickly slice apples and bake them between two crusts before lifting the top and adding sugar, orange zest, butter, and rose water.

Simmons' Buttered Apple Pie

Modern apple pie is an interesting amalgamation of techniques from multiple historical styles: we have the spices and whole fruits of the English version combined with the flaky crust, butter, and sweetener found in early American pies.

The Recipe: Apple Swamp Pie

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 150g (1 ¼ Cups) All-purpose flour

• ¼ tsp. Morton Kosher salt, or ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt

• 1 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar

• 1 Stick (113g) Cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch cubes

• ¼ Cup (60g) Very cold water, plus more as needed

For the filling:

• 5 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch thick (~500g)

• The juice of 1 medium lemon

• 100g (½ cup, packed) Light brown sugar

• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch

• 1 Tsp. Ground cinnamon

• ½ Tsp. Morton Kosher salt, or 1tsp. Diamond Crystal

For the crumble:

• 40g (½ cup) Rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

• 60g (½ cup) All-purpose flour

• 15g (2 tbsp.) Whole wheat flour (or additional All purpose flour)

• 50g (¼ cup) Light brown sugar

• ¼ Tsp. Baking powder

• ¼ Tsp. morton kosher salt or ½ t diamond crystal

• ¼ Tsp. ground cinnamon

• 57g (4 Tbsp.) Cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

For the custard:

• 176g (¾ cup) Heavy cream

• 25g (2 tbsp.) Light brown sugar

• 1 Large egg (~50g)

• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

To make the crust:

Before you begin, collect yourself and read the recipe completely. Pie dough is notoriously fickle, so keep yourself (and your dough!) cool and know that no matter what, your crust will taste great. If, in the middle of the process, you find the dough getting sticky or difficult to work with, just put the whole bowl right in the fridge and take a breath. There’s nothing wrong with a little break, and a calm and confident baker will make the most delicious pie.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. If your kitchen is very warm, place the bowl in your freezer for 15 minutes to chill before taking it back out and proceeding to the next step.

Make sure your measured water is nearby. Add the cubes of butter to the flour mixture and toss with your hands until every piece of butter is thoroughly coated in flour. Now, use your fingers to smash the butter into the flour mixture. I like to rub the cubes between two fingers so that they break down into thin sheets. Continue doing this until every cube of butter has been smashed and you have various different sizes of butter pieces. You want most of the mixture to look like a coarse meal (though some dry flour is fine) with pieces of butter ranging in size. Some pieces should be the size of a pea, with others the size of a walnut or pecan half. It’s important not to break down the butter too much in this step. Some large pieces of butter will create a light, flaky texture in the final crust.

Once the butter has been incorporated, make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the water. Using a fork or your fingers spread into a claw, gently toss the flour mixture with the water. Your goal here is for the flour to be evenly hydrated without overworking the dough, which will result in gluten development that will toughen the final crust. As you toss, break up any large clumps of wet flour and mix them with any very dry spots. Keep mixing just until you can squeeze the dough in your hand and it will barely hold together. It’s critical not to overmix at this stage: stop as soon as the dough begins to come together. If the dough remains exceptionally dry and will not hold together, add additional water a tablespoon at a time until it does.

Empty your bowl onto a clean work surface. Using the heel of your hand, gently smush any dry bits of flour into the rest of the dough. This will ensure even hydration and further flatten the butter pieces, encouraging flakiness. Try to gather your dough into a single mass and press it together. If it holds together and only feels slightly dry, if at all, you’re done! Otherwise, continue pressing it together as gently as you can until it does. Keep in mind that a bit of dryness is ok; the dough will continue to hydrate as it rests.

Optional, but recommended:

This is a simple step that will make your crust even lighter and flakier. Take your disc of dough and roll it out into a rough 8x8 inch square. The size and shape is not important here, and it's ok if it doesn't hold together in an even layer yet. You just want it to be large and flat. Now, fold the dough in half, and then in half again, pressing the layers into a block. Repeat one more time before using the heel of your hand to fold in the corners, returning the dough to a disc shape.

Chill the final dough disk for at least 2 hours. The dough can be kept in the fridge for three days or the freezer for several months before using. If frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before attempting to roll.

When you’re ready to make your pie, roll the dough into a circle about 11 inches in diameter if you’re using a shallow pie pan or 12-13 inches in diameter for a deep-dish pan. Place in the freezer or refrigerator to chill and firm up while you prepare the filling and crumble.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place on your oven’s lowest rack. Preheat the oven to 425f.

To make the filling:

Thoroughly combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

To make the crumble:

In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine the oats, flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients and toss to thoroughly coat the butter. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms large clumps when squeezed between your fingers. Set aside.

To assemble and bake:

Remove the prepared crust from your fridge or freezer and scrape the apple filling into it, using a rubber spatula to get all of the juices and dissolved sugar. You should be able to make a fairly even, shallow layer in the bottom of the crust.

Leaving a 1-inch gap around the edges of the pie, sprinkle the crumble over the apples, using your fingers to squeeze it as you go, forming clumps. You want a mix of fine dust and little pebbly pieces.

Place the pie on the prepared baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until you can see the filling bubbling up under and around the crumble.

While the pie is baking, prepare the custard. In a small bowl, whisk together the custard ingredients until thoroughly blended.

When the pie filling is visibly bubbling, carefully remove the pie from the oven and lower the oven temp to 375f.

Working gently and slowly, pour the liquid custard into the gap left around the edge of the pie, then on top of the crumble. Continue pouring the custard over the entire pie until you’ve used as much as you can. Depending on the size of your crust you may not be able to use all of the liquid, which is ok.

Return the pie to the oven and bake for about 8-12 minutes more, until the custard has visibly begun to thicken and is still slightly jiggly, but no longer liquid.

Allow the pie to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.