For me, this recipe sums up caker cooking in all its glory. Take something as simplistic and wholesome as apple pie, only cut out the apples and replace them with…crackers?
Oh, let’s face it. Who has the time and energy to peel all those apples?
A word of warning: This looks, tastes and smells so much like apple pie you’ll be called a liar when you serve it. No one will believe it doesn’t contain apples, so keep the recipe close at hand if you’re requested to produce evidence. And yes, the photo above is an actual piece of mock apple pie.
2 cups of water
1 ¼ cups of sugar
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
20 Ritz crackers
Double pie crust
Cinnamon
Butter
Heat oven to 400ยบ.
Bring water, sugar and cream of tartar to a boil in a saucepan. Drop in 20 whole Ritz crackers. Don’t break them up and don’t stir. Allow to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. While that’s cooling, you can make your pie crust. The recipe can be one of your choosing, although if you’re going for true caker style, don’t even think about making it from scratch. Buy the ready-made dough.
Lay one pie dough inside your pie dish. Pour the slightly cooled cracker mixture into it. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and a few dots of butter or margarine before adding the top crust. Seal the edges. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.
Source: A.R.C. Industries Cookbook (Desserts, Preserves, Candy, Pastry, Miscellaneous), Napanee, Ontario
I just had this pie and...OMG...I could not tell it wasn't apples. Mom loved the fact she fooled all of us with "Brian's pie". I want to know how the taste of apples comes from a Ritz cracker.
ReplyDeleteYou tell Aunt Gayle she's done me proud by making this. I have no idea what makes this taste like apple pie. It's one of the unexplained mysteries of life.
ReplyDeleteI will pass along your praise. She actually made TWO pies, which probably explains the weather disturbance we're having today.
ReplyDeleteI thought I had posted a comment about this; guess it didn't go through. As far as I know, this was a recipe made during either the Depression or WWII, because dry crackers were far easier to get than fresh fruit in certain wartime situations.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Irene. And I've heard you can make it with soda crackers, as well.
Deletethe organial called for lemon juice and lemon rind plus the crackers were broken up my mom would make this when I was growing up it was also called the poor man apple pie
ReplyDeleteI can see how it got the name "poor man apple pie." Who knew apples were such a luxury item back in the day?
DeleteHi Brian, Ann Jansen here. This post/blog keeps on giving. My 22-year-old daughter heard about Ritz cracker pie and if it truly tasted like apples this morning. I crowdsourced my large family for a response. Verdict: it does. Though the younger ones don't recall it... One said it would go with the salad made with marshmallows, jello and mandarin orange slices from cans made by our mum. Yes! Now my daughter wants to make the pie with me...
ReplyDeleteI hope you are keeping well!
Hi Ann. I'm glad to see Mock Apple Pie living on through the generations. It's truly one of those magical recipes that needs to be made (and eaten) in order to be believed. And I had that marshmallow/jello/mandarin orange salad many, many times growing up, usually with a dollop of Cool Whip on top. I think we counted the Cool Whip as dairy. Hope you are keeping well, too!
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