National Pie Day – A Delicious Holiday!

No matter how you cut it, pies are a great reason to celebrate on a cold winter day! Whether you love apple, peach, pumpkin or peanut butter – take time to celebrate the wholesome goodness of pie on National Pie Day – Friday, January 23.

A Taste of Pie History . . .

Historians trace the origin of pie to the Greeks who are thought to be the originators of the pastry shell. The early pies were predominately meat pies and the crust of the pie was often referred to as “coffyn”. Pies came to America with the first English settlers with the early colonists cooking their pies in long narrow pans. As in the Roman times, the early American pie crusts often were not eaten, but simply designed to hold the filling during baking. Pioneer women often served pies with every meal and with food at the heart of gatherings and celebrations, pie quickly moved to the forefront of contests at county fairs, picnics, and other social events. Through the years, pie has evolved to become a very traditional dessert and a unique part of the American culture.

Ways to Celebrate . . .

• Celebrate with us at Sauder Village! The Doughbox Bakery will be offering a deal of $1.00 off pies and free samples throughout the day, while supplies last. We’re also offering $1.00 off a slice of pie with any meal purchase at the Barn Restaurant on Jan. 23.
• Make a your own pie! Make special memories with your children or grandkids by baking a pie together (the Doughbox Bakery even sells homemade pie crust for you to bake in your own kitchen!).
• Try a new (or old!) pie recipe. Look through your cookbooks to find a new recipe or try one of these historic recipes we often prepare throughout the season in the Village.

Buttermilk Pie
(recipe from the Buckeye Cookery, published 1877)

½ heaping cup sugar

2 eggs

¼ cup butter, softened

¾ cup buttermilk

1 apple, thinly sliced

grated nutmeg

Beat together the sugar and eggs. Add butter and beat thoroughly. Add the buttermilk and mix thoroughly. Line the pie tin with crust (see pie crust recipe below). Lay apple slices on crust. Fill the crust with the mixture. Add a little nutmeg on top as garnish if desired and bake with no upper crust. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes until set.

Simple Pie Crust

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup shortening

½ cup water

In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Roll out dough on floured counter. (Don’t over work it.) Use as directed in your pie recipe.       

   

Apple Butter Making - A Fall Tradition

Produced in the fall as a way to preserve part of the apple crop, apple butter was historically a community project – bringing families and neighbors together each fall. Again this year, guests of all ages will gather to celebrate this time-honored fall tradition at Sauder Village (Wed. Sept. 21 – Sat. Sept. 24).

The highlight of the week takes place in the 1910 Homestead where the delicious apple butter is made. Guests can enjoy apple schnitzing demonstrations in the homestead cellar and then watch as gallons of apple cider and bushels of the thinly sliced apples are simmered over an open fire and stirred until the mixture reduces to form the thick, sweet spread.

“For our ancestors, surviving the winter was really a year ‘round activity,” shared Andi Erbskorn, curator of education. “Crops were planted, food was harvested, meat was hunted and all was preserved with an eye towards the long winter months ahead. That’s what our costumed staff focuses on in the fall, especially during our Apple Butter Making Week.”

Another way to preserve apples was to press them into cider. Throughout the week the historic wooden press will be put to use to make apple cider. The apple cider is then used in the historic village to make apple butter as well as later on to make vinegar and jellies. There will be many other apple-related activities taking place throughout the week as well. Guests can try packing apples in barrels for winter storage and watch apple cooking demonstrations in some of the historic homes. New this year, guests can also watch as costumed guides make apple pectin – the ingredient that makes jelly “gel”. Apple cores and peels are boiled to make syrup which is then added to fruits to make jams and jellies.

We hope you’ll join us for this fun-filled autumn event at Sauder Village! If you’d like to try making some apple butter in your home, here’s a recipe we often share with teachers looking to continue the experience in their classroom! Why not do the same thing with your children at home – try making some apple butter in your own kitchen. Enjoy!

Aunt Vicky's Crock-pot Apple Butter... a modern version of a traditional rural favorite

2 c. cider
10 c. unsweetened applesauce ***
3 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. allspice

Reduce cider to 1 cup by boiling it. Combine and stir all ingredients in crock-pot and cook uncovered 6 to 8 hours on high setting. Let your children take turns stirring so that the apple butter doesn't burn.

The amount of moisture in the applesauce determines when the apple butter will be done. To tell when it is finished, spoon some on a saucer. If juice runs out, it is not done.

*** To make the applesauce: Macintosh apples and apple juice work best. You may need (6) 3 lb. bags of apples to make 10 cups of sauce. The day before you plan on making the apple butter, cook the sliced and cored apples in some apple juice in a crock-pot until soft and put through a sieve.

This fresh apple butter is best on homemade bread. Delicious!

Apples . . . A Great Way to Celebrate Fall!

The aroma of apples and spices mixed with woodfires and falling leaves signals a change of season and Apple Butter Baking at Sauder Village. For the 34th consecutive year, guests can watch as we boil the cider down, add the thinly sliced apples and then cook the homemade apple butter in copper kettles over an open fire. This ever-popular fall event is sure to delight all of your senses with activities including apple butter making, cider pressing, apple cooking demonstrations and hands-on activities.

We’ve posted a video with some highlights of this fall event that runs Sept. 22-25. We also thought we’d share a few of the apple recipes we’ll be preparing in our historic homes throughout the fall. We hope you’ll plan to visit us for Apple Butter Making or one of the other special events we have planned yet this season!



Historic apple recipes to try in your own kitchen . . .

Apple Butter Pie – A recipe from the Lauber Family
1 heaping tablespoon flour (serving spoon)
1 heaping tablespoon sugar (serving spoon)
2 heaping tablespoons apple butter (servings spoons)
2 eggs
½ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 cups milk (1 cup cream and 1 cup 2% milk)

Mix sugar and flour, add next four ingredients then add milk. Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the center is set.


Apple Pandowdy
Apple Pandowdy is one of a family of simple desserts, known in different parts of the world as cobblers, duffs, grunts, slumps and pandowdies. These desserts have subtle variations, but the base of all of them is fruit baked with a sweet biscuit or cake dough top. The exact origin of the name Pandowdy is unknown, but it is thought to refer to the dessert’s plain or “dowdy” appearance. Looks can be deceiving, apple pandowdy is delicious - especially topped with a bit of ice cream or whipped cream. This dessert is super easy to make, yet wins rave reviews from diners. Try some tonight!

Apple Pandowdy Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 ½ cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups peeled, sliced apples
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
whipped cream or ice cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. Butter a 9” square baking dish. Place sliced apples in buttered baking dish and sprinkle with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in egg. Add flour mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture to make a stiff batter. Spread batter evenly over apples and bake for about 50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for at least ten minutes before serving. You can serve this dish right out of the pan or invert it onto a serving plate like an upside-down cake, warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.


Apple Grunt
½ cup sugar
2 T butter
1 egg
1 cup flour
½ t. salt
½ t. baking powder
2 c. sliced apples
½ c. sour milk or buttermilk
½ t. vanilla
6 T. brown sugar
1 ½ T. flour
½ t. cinnamon
1 ½ T. butter

Cream sugar and butter together; add egg and mix. Blend flour, salt and baking powder together and add to mixture. Mix soda with milk and vanilla; mix all together. Add apple slices and pour batter into a buttered baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter – mixing until crumb texture and sprinkle over apple batter. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes.