Apple Pie

Today I helped my son with a homework assignment: homemade apple pie. It was also a trip down memory lane as apple pie was my first cooking experience. I was 14, and my mom asked me to make the Sabbath dinner dessert. Making Sabbath dessert was a big deal for a first time cooking experience.  However, my mother trusted my ability to follow a simple recipe.

Sabbath dinner was the favorite meal of the week for my whole family. It was a weekly celebration of God's goodness towards us during the week, as well as a respite from anything worldly. Sabbath dinner was the one meal that was completed with a sweet dessert instead of fruit. It was often a fruit pie, so making the Sabbath dessert was an honor that came with a bit of pressure. I did a good job as it became my Friday chore to prepare dessert. My mother probably trusted me to not mess up an experience that we all enjoyed.

You would think that I would make pie more often than I do, given my fond memories of Sabbath pies. However, I am trying to eat healthier including eating my fruit unaltered. I do have a sweet tooth that needs occasional indulging. Such urges can be satisfied conveniently with a fruit dessert. 

My go-to fruit dessert is a simply prepared crumble. My no-fuss version is prepared fruit – fresh or frozen – topped with granola. Dust the fruit with a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg or splash a bit of lemon on it before adding the topping. The granola can be a homemade basic, or a flavored variety, such as vanilla, to add a bit more flavor flair. While you can use sugar, I don't use it. Baking draws out both the juices and sugar in the fruit. The bit of steam created by baking allows enough of the granola's sweetness to combine with the sweetness of the fruit. For me, no additional sweetener is needed.  Bake in a preheated oven (350ºF) until the fruit is soft and heated through. Think of the fruit as the star, dressed in granola and accessorized with whatever additional flavor you add.

What I like best about this recipe is that it is easy to make for one to crowd-sized.  I don't measure the ingredients, but eyeball the ratio of topping to fruit. I use about 3/4 fruit to 1/4 topping, measured by the dish I use.  It is a nice breakfast dish, especially on chilly mornings.

It's a picture of his homework, as he was being tested on crust making.

Farm fresh apples; I likes lots of fruit, with as little gaps between the fruit as possible!