Apple Pie Spice

[Tanaqui]

I was making some absolutely delicious apple pie oatmeal, and I got to thinking - what sort of spices do other people put in with their apple pie?

 

And I'm also bored out of my freaking gourd, so I thought I'd make a poll.

[Miss Peregrine]

I also like to add rosewater when I can find it.. :)

Edited April 4, 2017 by Miss Peregrine

[Catwoman]

I was making some absolutely delicious apple pie oatmeal, and I got to thinking - what sort of spices do other people put in with their apple pie?

 

And I'm also bored out of my freaking gourd, so I thought I'd make a poll.

Excuse me, but perhaps you are unaware of the forum rules that say that if you make people hungry by posting about delicious apple pie oatmeal, you are morally and ethically obligated to share the recipe. :D

 

I understand if you want to wait until you get your poll results first, if you think posting the recipe will influence people.

 

ALTHOUGH... some of us (okay, me) might be getting kind of hungry right about now and be thinking that some apple pie oatmeal might be really good.... ;)

[lavender's green]

I like to keep apple pies simple. I usually just do cinnamon. For upside-down apple tarts (I forget the fancy name) I just let the apples speak for themselves. People always try to guess what all those yummy spices are, but it's just the natural apple flavor!

 

Pumpkin pie is where I go crazy and load up on a variety of spices.

[fairfarmhand]

Just cinnamon and salt.

 

Nutmeg is VILE! Ruins a pie.

[Tanaqui]

Well, it wasn't that special. Let's see...

 

Start with 6 tablespoons steel cut oats, 4 tablespoons quinoa, rinse in a mesh strainer, soak overnight.

 

In the morning, bring to a boil, then lower the flame to a simmer. Dice up two green apples, shoving the cores in the compost. Add to the simmering water along with a tablespoon of butter. Beat an egg in a cup, then temper with a bit of the water from the oats. Add the egg and stir vigorously to reduce the odds of any spare whites sneaking in. Add a metric ton of turbinado sugar and some muscado for the flavor. (You can probably substitute dark brown sugar for the lot.) Add a pinch of salt. Dither over the spice rack, finally add rather a lot of vietnamese cinnamon (aka "true cinnamon", though cassia cinnamon will work as well), and a small amount of ginger, cloves, and nutmeg - I didn't want to grind allspice or cardamom early in the morning, but I had those pre-ground. Cook, covered, until done. Dole out into bowls, top with a tiny bit of maple syrup, a generous serving of wheat germ (me only), a melty pat of butter. Pour over with milk or cream (me only). Congratulate yourself on your very healthy breakfast. Oats are good for the heart! And I'm sure butter, sugar, and cream are too.

[Tanaqui]

That theoretically serves 3 people, but to be honest, one child doesn't like oatmeal that much. Also, be warned, my idea of a "small" amount of spice is possibly a lot spicier than yours. You'll want to adjust these measurements, such as they are, for your own tastebuds.

 

The maple syrup is completely unnecessary, btw, and is only there to look pretty.

[Carol in Cal.]

The 'other' that I included in my vote is pepper.  I don't use enough to taste it, but just enough to zing up the spiciness and cut the sweetness a bit.  I use TONS of spices, and the pepper gives it a complexity that I really like.

[Tanaqui]

Nutmeg is VILE! Ruins a pie.

 

Aw, and I love nutmeg! Put it in my pie, in my mac & cheese, on my creamed spinach... yum!

 

[Dmmetler]

I am severely allergic to cinnamon, so I use nutmeg and cardamom. I can't be around anything commercially "apple pie" scented, though (or pumpkin, either)

[zoobie]

Just cinnamon and salt.

 

Nutmeg is VILE! Ruins a pie.

 

I add a cinnamon, salt, and a little lemon. 

 

Nutmeg is poisonous. It's the devil's spice. It ruins everything it touches.

[LuvToRead]

Mine it pretty boring.  Cinnamon, lemon, sugar, and salt.

[Spryte]

What time is breakfast? If I start driving now, maybe I'll get to your place in time for the morning? :D

 

Yum.

 

That sounds delicious.

[LucyStoner]

My apple pie has balsamic vinegar and black pepper besides the typical cinnamon-y family of flavorings.  It might sound weird but people go crazy over my pie, and my apple pie in particular, so I think I am doing something right. 

 

And no, you can't have the recipe because I eyeball it and taste test it based on my apples and my mood. I am the worst recipe recorder.   :lol:

Edited April 4, 2017 by LucyStoner

[luuknam]

When I got married, my family gave me a handmade cookbook, with everybody contributing a recipe. On her page, my grandmother wrote her recipe, which only features cinnamon, though it also has freshly grated lemon peel, and raisins, and caster sugar(? - can't find a reliable translation - basterdsuiker translates to brown sugar, but "white brown sugar" isn't a thing, and no, I'm not talking about light brown sugar), but I use brown sugar. And you're also supposed to use at least two different kinds of apples, tart ones and sweet ones, I think.

 

She also included a recipe she'd clipped from a magazine as well, which includes cookie/speculaas spices, which would typically include cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom, and white pepper, and possibly anise, coriander, or mace. I don't think I've ever made it using cookie/speculaas spices, so I only voted for cinnamon. Other Dutch recipes I've seen often include a packet of vanilla sugar, fwiw.

 

Serve with whipping cream (not ice cream - my wife seems to think apple pie should be served with vanilla ice cream - she's wrong).

 

This is roughly what it should look like (though mine end up a little taller than that - also, you can use a crumble top instead of a lattice):

 

http://www.laurasbakery.nl/omas-appeltaart/

 

ETA: and no, you can't have my recipe, since I do some sort of combination of the two recipes my grandmother included, and then with brown sugar instead of white caster(?) sugar, and I don't know for sure - haven't made it in a while, since it would not fit in the toaster oven (our oven broke years ago).

Edited April 4, 2017 by luuknam

[Catwoman]

What time is breakfast? If I start driving now, maybe I'll get to your place in time for the morning? :D

 

Yum.

 

That sounds delicious.

Let's carpool! :D

[Farrar]

I'm open to cloves and allspice, I personally like ginger, but cinnamon and nutmeg are essential. I'd be interested to try cardamom. It would give it a sort of exotic flavor, I think. Mace is just wrong, not only in apple pie, but all things.

[Tanaqui]

What Brits call caster sugar is more or less what Americans call granulated sugar, luuknam. That sounds like what you're describing.

[Spryte]

Let's carpool! :D

It's a plan! I'll make you an espresso drink for your to go cup. Are you a cappuccino or a macchiato kind of girl? Or maybe just a double espresso? :D

[myfunnybunch]

Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and orange or lemon juice and zest. Sometimes a pinch of coriander, too.

[Catwoman]

Well, it wasn't that special. Let's see...

 

Start with 6 tablespoons steel cut oats, 4 tablespoons quinoa, rinse in a mesh strainer, soak overnight.

 

In the morning, bring to a boil, then lower the flame to a simmer. Dice up two green apples, shoving the cores in the compost. Add to the simmering water along with a tablespoon of butter. Beat an egg in a cup, then temper with a bit of the water from the oats. Add the egg and stir vigorously to reduce the odds of any spare whites sneaking in. Add a metric ton of turbinado sugar and some muscado for the flavor. (You can probably substitute dark brown sugar for the lot.) Add a pinch of salt. Dither over the spice rack, finally add rather a lot of vietnamese cinnamon (aka "true cinnamon", though cassia cinnamon will work as well), and a small amount of ginger, cloves, and nutmeg - I didn't want to grind allspice or cardamom early in the morning, but I had those pre-ground. Cook, covered, until done. Dole out into bowls, top with a tiny bit of maple syrup, a generous serving of wheat germ (me only), a melty pat of butter. Pour over with milk or cream (me only). Congratulate yourself on your very healthy breakfast. Oats are good for the heart! And I'm sure butter, sugar, and cream are too.

  

That theoretically serves 3 people, but to be honest, one child doesn't like oatmeal that much. Also, be warned, my idea of a "small" amount of spice is possibly a lot spicier than yours. You'll want to adjust these measurements, such as they are, for your own tastebuds.

 

The maple syrup is completely unnecessary, btw, and is only there to look pretty.

Thanks!!! I'm definitely going to try it! :hurray:

[Catwoman]

It's a plan! I'll make you an espresso drink for your to go cup. Are you a cappuccino or a macchiato kind of girl? Or maybe just a double espresso? :D

Surprise me -- I like all of those!

 

I'll bring some cupcakes to tide us over until breakfast. :)

[RootAnn]

I toss whatever I'm in the mood for into my apple pies. I think I've tried all but the mace (?? don't even think I have this) and the cardamom (which I have). 

 

My pies generally end up all about the crust, though. The kids don't care what type I make as long as I make something with a flaky crust.

[Crimson Wife]

What Brits call caster sugar is more or less what Americans call granulated sugar, luuknam. That sounds like what you're describing.

 

No, caster sugar is different than regular white granulated sugar. I have both in my pantry and the grain is different.

 

[Forget-Me-Not]

Cinnamon and nutmeg. I grew up in a cinnamon-only home. Then I tried a friend's recipe that included nutmeg and it was a revelation 😄

[umsami]

 

 

Serve with whipping cream (not ice cream - my wife seems to think apple pie should be served with vanilla ice cream - she's wrong).

 

.

 

My Aunt solved this debate in our family by teaching my kids that the correct answer is both.  Pumpkin and apple pie should have both vanilla ice cream (ideally Breyer's) and whipped cream.  She feels that any time you have pie it's a special occasion, so live it up.  She also puts whipped cream in her coffee every morning.  (Why should i use just plain old boring cream or milk when whipped cream is more fun?)  

 

She's one of my favorite aunts. :)

[Tanaqui]

I think I've tried all but the mace (?? don't even think I have this) and the cardamom (which I have).

 

Mace is part of the same plant that gives us nutmeg. It tastes similar, but not entirely the same - like the difference between true cinnamon and cassia, or between pink peppercorns and black.

 

My Aunt solved this debate in our family by teaching my kids that the correct answer is both.  Pumpkin and apple pie should have both vanilla ice cream (ideally Breyer's) and whipped cream.  She feels that any time you have pie it's a special occasion, so live it up.  She also puts whipped cream in her coffee every morning.  (Why should i use just plain old boring cream or milk when whipped cream is more fun?)

 

I agree. But does anybody here eat apple pies with cheese?

 

No, caster sugar is different than regular white granulated sugar. I have both in my pantry and the grain is different.

 

Yes, it's more finely ground, right? But most people in the US don't have access to caster sugar unless they make a special trip, just like most of us don't have Grains of Paradise, pink peppercorns, or mace sitting in their pantries. (I do, but, y'know, I made a special trip and a few expensive Amazon orders. Ought to find another spice I urgently need, then I can go back to Kalustyan's and get me some baklava as my reward for making the special trip....) And I don't know if luuknam is really describing caster sugar *or* granulated sugar. It could be a third option :)

 

So I was just trying to come up with a "good enough" term that most Americans would understand. I figure the Brits will understand "caster sugar". Though come to think of it, I bet "white sugar" works well in both countries, and the rest of the Anglosphere as well. May as well split that difference.

 

Edited April 5, 2017 by Tanaqui

[myfunnybunch]

I agree. But does anybody here eat apple pies with cheese?

 

Of course! An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze. ;)

 

Cheese ice cream, though, that sounds...not so yummy.

[marbel]

I cheated a bit; I don't make apple pie, but my husband does.  I asked him, but he is not orthodox about it and sometimes adds other things.  I'm not a huge nutmeg fan, so he leaves that out.  Sometimes he adds some parmesan cheese to the crust.  

 

I don't understand the concept of buying the apple pie spice blend.  They are such basic spices, it seems like a waste of space in the spice cabinet.  I'm not opposed to all spice blends though.  I keep a few, such as 5-spice powder and za'atar, rather than trying to make up a batch each time a bit, even though I have the components.   But apple and pumpkin pie spice blends seem redundant to me. 

[LucyStoner]

I cheated a bit; I don't make apple pie, but my husband does. I asked him, but he is not orthodox about it and sometimes adds other things. I'm not a huge nutmeg fan, so he leaves that out. Sometimes he adds some parmesan cheese to the crust.

 

I don't understand the concept of buying the apple pie spice blend. They are such basic spices, it seems like a waste of space in the spice cabinet. I'm not opposed to all spice blends though. I keep a few, such as 5-spice powder and za'atar, rather than trying to make up a batch each time a bit, even though I have the components. But apple and pumpkin pie spice blends seem redundant to me.

I don't under stand that as a spice blend either. It makes no sense to me whatsoever. Also, how old are those spices going to get before one uses the entire bottle? I probably make way more pies than the average circa 2017 American householder and I don't make enough apple pie to use up a bottle of an apple pie only spice.

 

Also, the sugar, water content and acidity of apples varies so much from variety to variety that sometimes you need more or less of something to offset the variance in your apples. Just because I add more ginger or cinnamon doesn't mean I want to add more nutmeg or whatnot.

Edited April 5, 2017 by LucyStoner

[umsami]

Of course! An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze. ;)

 

Cheese ice cream, though, that sounds...not so yummy.

 

My Dad used to say that all the time.  He was a fan of cheddar cheese on apple pie, too.  :)

[KrissiK]

I like cinnamon and cloves in my apple pie.

 

Just cinnamon and salt.

 

Nutmeg is VILE! Ruins a pie.

  

I add a cinnamon, salt, and a little lemon. 

 

Nutmeg is poisonous. It's the devil's spice. It ruins everything it touches.

I agree with this!

[KrissiK]

Of course! An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze. ;)

 

Cheese ice cream, though, that sounds...not so yummy.

My mom always said that. I love apple pie with a slice of good quality cheddar cheese.

[Catwoman]

Every time this thread gets bumped back up to the top, it makes me hungry for apple pie.

[mamaraby]

The 'other' that I included in my vote is pepper. I don't use enough to taste it, but just enough to zing up the spiciness and cut the sweetness a bit. I use TONS of spices, and the pepper gives it a complexity that I really like.

I have never done pepper in my apple pie spice mix, but I do love it with anything pumpkin (pie, bread, muffins, etc) or in my carrot cake. Just a little, but it does add another layer of flavor that is particularly wonderful.

 

I have not made apple pie in a very long time. Pie crusts and I are not good friends.

[Tanaqui]

I have not made apple pie in a very long time. Pie crusts and I are not good friends.

 

That's why I mostly make crumble, or even just what my family calls "apple stuff" - basically just the filling, but sauteed in a pan and served over ice cream. (Or NOT served over ice cream, which even more yum, if you can believe it!)

 

I don't under stand that as a spice blend either. It makes no sense to me whatsoever. Also, how old are those spices going to get before one uses the entire bottle? I probably make way more pies than the average circa 2017 American householder and I don't make enough apple pie to use up a bottle of an apple pie only spice.

 

Maybe they're sprinkling it over storebought applesauce, or making impromptu "pumpkin spice" coffee?

[Rosie_0801]

That's why I mostly make crumble, or even just what my family calls "apple stuff" - basically just the filling, but sauteed in a pan and served over ice cream. (Or NOT served over ice cream, which even more yum, if you can believe it!)

 

It's even better with quince.

[Tanaqui]

You said it, Rosie. A quince for me, and a quince for thee, and quinces we will eat!

[maize]

I just do cinnamon.

[EKS]

We actually did a taste test one Thanksgiving--apple pie with cinnamon vs with no spice at all.  To everyone's surprise, no spice won unanimously.