I have a great memory of riding in a old farm wagon pulled by a tractor through the apple orchards of Upstate New York. I was sitting next to my brother and mother on bails of hay excited to go pick apples. One of the adults reached out as we went by some low hanging branches and pulled an apple off to eat. We filled four big bags that day of crisp sweet reds and when we got home my brother and I helped my mom process our bounty so she could make apple butter and an apple crisp. The peeling and coring was easy with the apple peeler fastened to a wooden stand and the long had crank that pushed the lever through the peeler. It was satisfying work but I had to stand on a stool to reach the counter and have good leverage to get the job done.
It wasn’t until I was in my sophomore year in culinary vocational school that I baked my first lattice topped apple pie. I didn’t think it tasted very good because the experience was mainly about making the dough and putting the pie together to make the lattice top rather than the apple filling. The contents of the pie would have been much better if we had used fresh apples like my mother did. The pie crust was made from scratch but I’ve progressed from the dough of my youth.
Today, I use fresh tart apples that offer a big flavor and make cobbler base with added spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, water, brown sugar, salt and cornstarch instead of a can.
Made me realize the steps of progress and how long it can take to perfect a recipe. Since then I have perfected my pie dough. I use a rubbed dough method and let it sit overnight. The buttery flavor comes out and flakiness is far better that the early renditions I learned. Today I made the best little apple turnovers using the same recipe. Simple and delicious, reminded me of the day we first picked apples.