One of the very first pastry recipes I made was a French apple pie at the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. I made that so often that I felt I had perfected the recipe.
The pie is called Tarte Tatin. It’s the French version of the American apple pie, though they don’t look the same.
Tarte Tatin is an inverted pie with the crust on top. The story goes that a American nun had baked an apple pie for her guests, and somehow dropped the pie, which fell top first. In a hurry to serve her hungry guests, she picked it up with the crust on top and her guests loved it.
Butterscotch topping
Like adobo in the Philippines, apple pie is a staple in America. I have tried many but not all are good. The ones that I remember are made by Cakes To Go and Goodies and Sweets. Both come with a butterscotch topping. Extremely fattening but delicious.
A friend, Mario Lagman, bakes a mean apple pie. He shared the recipe once but I misplaced it. He makes a crust, puts the sliced apples, adds all the flavorings and tops the mixture with a combination of butter, flour and some other flavoring ingredients.
Another friend who makes good apple pie is a churchmate of mine, Czarina. She was the winner of the Great American Cookfest. Her apple pie is very simple-looking but is packed with flavor. (Contact 0922-8199876.)
Just a few days ago, my sister Nina asked me if I was interested to try an apple pie she just tried. Sarap daw. It has happened many times in the past that we don’t agree on taste. I might like something she doesn’t and vice versa. So, I just badmouth her. Kidding!
Contrast
But this one I really liked. Every time I have apple pie, I already dream of what kind of cheese I will have it with. I happened to have a nice medium-aged gouda. I love the contrast of the sweetness and sourness of the apple with the saltiness of the cheese.
The crust of this apple pie has hints of salt and you can tell it’s rich in butter. The slightly firm and soft apples are sufficiently flavored with cinnamon. I had to tell myself to stop and leave some for my daughter Danielle who is an apple pie fanatic.
I also enjoy the balance of the sweet-and-sour apples with the mildly salty and crunchy crust. I am told that, topped with ice cream or a la mode, it’s not only very fattening but unbelievably delicious. The suggestion is to have it warm, but I like mine chilled. You must experience it.
This apple pie is made by Catherine’s Cakes and Pies. (Call tel. 6592591 or 0917-8409598.)
I’d love to discover more variety of apple pie apart from the Tarte Tatin of France or the American apple pie.
How can one not feel blessed? Occasionally, you are given delicious food to sample, or asked to judge cooking competitions, or even sample various restaurants. What work? This is all play to me. God is good!
Happy eating!
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