Cooking with Mother Goose: A series of occasional posts inspired by children's stories and rhymes.
Simple Simon
Simple Simon met a pieman,
Going to the fair;
Said Simple Simon to the pieman,
Let me taste your ware.
Said the pieman to Simple Simon,
Show me first your penny;
Said Simple Simon to the pieman,
Indeed I have not any.
Simple Simon went a-fishing,
For to catch a whale;
All the water he had got,
Was in his mother's pail.
Simple Simon went to look
If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,
Which made poor Simon whistle
I only remember the first verse of Simple Simon, but I think of it whenever I make a pie. It also reminds me of our friend Simon, although it is not the most favorable portrayal of a Simon, is it? Maybe someday we can write a new version in which Simon has a bit more fun. (Here's the Three Stooges' riff on it).
When I realized that I had never posted an apple pie recipe on this site, I knew I had to remedy that immediately. I use this site myself as an electronic database of our favorite recipes, and now that it's apple season, I know I will need an apple pie recipe again and again.
This recipe is just a simple pie recipe, but I tried to achieve the right balance of flavors, adding a bit of lemon and cardamom to go along with the more traditional spices. The lemony twist in the filling brightens up the apple flavor. The cardamom adds a bit of tang, too, although it also has an earthiness that complements the cinnamon and nutmeg. The filling was so good that I had to stop myself from eating it before I baked it into the pie.
So here's a simple apple pie recipe for Simple Simon, or anyone else who loves apple pie.
Second Helping: Triple Ginger Zucchini Bread
Thirds: Chunky Apple Muffins
Serves 8-10
Appriximately 60 minutes preparation time
60 minutes baking time
1 recipe basic pie crust
6 large apples (about 3 1/2 pounds), preferably a mix of varieties such as Honeycrisp, Granny
Smith, and Jonagold, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Make the dough according to the recipe and put it in the refrigerator to chill.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Toss the apples in a bowl with the cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, 1/2 cup sugar, and flour. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix thoroughly.
After the dough has chilled, roll out the larger piece of dough and transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate. Scoop the apples into the crust, leaving behind any liquid.
Roll out the second piece of dough until it is about 10 inches in diameter and transfer it onto the top of the apple filling. Trim the edge of the crust to even it out, if necessary. Fold the edges under and crimp the top and bottom crust together. Cut a few slits into the top crust. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the top of the pie.
Bake the pie on the bottom rack of the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for about 50 minutes longer, until the crust is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, tent a piece of foil over the top.
Let the pie cool for at least an hour to let it set.
Comments