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Fool 'Em Apple Pie

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Submitted by brookenicole

Mock apple pie made with crackers instead of apples, boiled in sugar syrup with cream of tartar. A Depression-era trick pie that tastes surprisingly like real apple pie without a single apple.

YIELD

1 pie

PREP

5 min

COOK

30 min

READY

35 min

No apples? No problem. This Depression-era mock apple pie uses crackers boiled in sugar syrup with cream of tartar to create a filling that genuinely tastes like apple pie. The cream of tartar is the secret. Its acidity mimics the tartness of apples, and the crackers soften in the syrup to a texture that’s startlingly close to baked apple slices.

The trick is boiling the crackers in the syrup for just 2 minutes and not stirring. Stirring breaks them into mush. Left alone, they absorb the liquid and hold together in layers, just like apple slices.

Cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled on top complete the illusion. With those warm spices and a dot of butter, your brain fills in the blanks and tastes apples. It’s genuinely fooling.

Kitchen Tips

  • Use Ritz-style butter crackers for the best results. Plain saltines work but lack the richness.
  • Don’t stir once the crackers go in. Push them down gently if they float, but leave them alone.
  • Bake in an unbaked pie shell so the crust crisps alongside the filling.
  • Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The illusion is most convincing when the filling is hot.

Variations

  • Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the syrup for a sharper, more apple-like tartness.
  • Top with a second pie crust for a traditional double-crust presentation.
  • Drizzle with caramel sauce after baking for a caramel apple pie twist.

Ingredients

2 473
CUPS ML WATER
1 ⅓ 315
CUPS ML SUGAR
1 5
TEASPOON ML CREAM OF TARTAR
22 22
EACH CRACKERS *

Directions

Mix water, sugar and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add 22 crackers. Boil for 2 more minutes; do not stir.

Push down and add to unbaked pie shell.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Dot with butter.

Bake at 425 degrees F. for 20 minutes.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 185g (6.5 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 258 0% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 22%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0% Iron 0%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Fat, Fat-Free, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free, Sodium-Free, Low Sodium
 
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