Top 100 Cake Blog

Top 100 Cake Blog

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Mock Apple Pie


Sometimes, things aren't as they appear. Often, the deception is apparent immediately. Other times, it reveals itself slowly.   Deceit can be painful, as we all know too well, but it can also be  fun.  And so it is, with this mock apple pie.

Now many of you are probably thinking that this is the vintage Ritz Cracker mock apple pie, but it is not.  I brought this to work with the note:  "Enjoy the pie and guess what kind it is. Winner gets ... a slice of pie!"  And the losers (of which there were many) did too.  Answers ranged from apple-rhubarb to winter squash.  Not one person guessed that it was.....drum roll here...zucchini!


As you can imagine, I was intrigued when I came across this recipe card, which I assume was devised by a housewife facing a huge mountain of fresh-harvested overgrown zucchini in the fall.  I say overgrown, because the instructions call for seeding the squash, something you need not do if the zucchini is young.


It's pretty straightforward to make, except for the topping which I couldn't quite figure out.  I'm sure I made it wrong (I put all the ingredients in the food processor) but, forging ahead because it was too late to turn back, placed the odd mixture on top of the pie and then put the whole thing in the oven. Of course, it overflowed; next time (if there is one), I will place a foil covered baking sheet on the lower rack. Or follow the recipe precisely, which called for baking the pie in a paper bag!

In the end, the pie tasted fine.  In fact, more than fine.



So, if you find yourself with way more zucchini than you know what to do with, I heartily recommend this odd but surprisingly delicious dessert.




7 comments:

  1. Hi!I just need to ask...can you rewrite the ingredients?I can't understand a few things written on the recipe card...thank you! lovely recipe btw!

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    1. Erika: I made just half the recipe (and used a four-inch pie plate), but the original is:
      4 C. zucchini (peeled, seeded and sliced 1/8 inch thick)
      3/4 C. sugar
      2 T. tapioca
      5 T. lemon juice
      1/2 t. salt
      2 t. cinnamon
      1 t. nutmeg
      2 T. cornstarch
      1 unbaked pie crust

      Let me know if you have other questions.

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    2. and for the top is 1/ c margarin, 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c flour? What is the process?or anyway, How did you do it? thanks again! I promise, after that I'll stop asking! :)

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    3. No problem, Erika. The topping was a bit of a mess. I tried to make it like pie crust, and cut the butter into the flour until it resembled small peas and then added the sugar. It failed. I would try combing the butter and sugar until well blended and then add the flour. Either way, you're going to have to drop it in pieces atop the pie. Everything will smooth out in the oven. Aside from giving no method to making the topping, the recipe author wrote the baking instructions at the right side of the topping ingredients, adding to the confusion!

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  2. Could I ask where you got this recipe? It looks just like my moms hand writing. I am going to try this today. Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Oh, Emily, sorry but I have no idea! I buy recipe card boxes mostly from eBay these days and I'm so utterly disorganized that after I bake each recipe I don't return it to the original box. Each box usually contains cards in many different scripts, but I'll print this card and see if I can find a match.

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  3. the topping appears to be a crumb topping, like in German crumb cakes...mix all ingredients and work it until it looks like large peas or cherries...distribute over pie..

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