Using apples picked fresh from Massachusetts orchards, you can bake a pie fit for a founding father. “You can sit in your home and you can eat the foods that John Adams and Abigail Adams ate,” said Michael Smith, also known online as the 18th Century Cook. We meet him in the Parker House in his hometown of Reading, Mass., to whip up a pie like it’s 1776. Watch Smith use fresh, local apples and a recipe from the first American cookbook. You can watch the process and learn historical tidbits along the way here:18th Century Cook’s Apple Pie Recipe: Crust:350 grams all-purpose flour113 grams butter6 grams salt6 grams sugar2 tablespoons waterFilling:500 grams sliced apples (3-4 medium apples)100 grams sugar50 grams maple syrup25 ml Port wine50 grams flour100 grams melted butter1 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon green cardamomPinch of saltEgg washParbake the crust at 350F for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel, core, and cut three to four medium-sized apples. Combine them with the remaining ingredients and spoon into the pre-baked bottom crust. Add the top crust and wash with an egg. Bake at 350F for 60 minutes. You may want to cover the crust halfway through baking. Serve with a sharp Cheddar or other hard cheese, like Cheshire or even Stilton.Pick your own:Apple season is here, and Massachusetts has more than 100 places where you can pick your own.Use this map and searchable list, created with information from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, to find information about the state’s orchards:
READING, Mass. —
Using apples picked fresh from Massachusetts orchards, you can bake a pie fit for a founding father.
“You can sit in your home and you can eat the foods that John Adams and Abigail Adams ate,” said Michael Smith, also known online as the 18th Century Cook.
We meet him in the Parker House in his hometown of Reading, Mass., to whip up a pie like it’s 1776. Watch Smith use fresh, local apples and a recipe from the first American cookbook.
You can watch the process and learn historical tidbits along the way here:
18th Century Cook’s Apple Pie Recipe:
Crust:
350 grams all-purpose flour
113 grams butter
6 grams salt
6 grams sugar
2 tablespoons water
Filling:
500 grams sliced apples (3-4 medium apples)
100 grams sugar
50 grams maple syrup
25 ml Port wine
50 grams flour
100 grams melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon green cardamom
Pinch of salt
Egg wash
Parbake the crust at 350F for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel, core, and cut three to four medium-sized apples. Combine them with the remaining ingredients and spoon into the pre-baked bottom crust. Add the top crust and wash with an egg. Bake at 350F for 60 minutes. You may want to cover the crust halfway through baking. Serve with a sharp Cheddar or other hard cheese, like Cheshire or even Stilton.
Pick your own:
Apple season is here, and Massachusetts has more than 100 places where you can pick your own.
Use this map and searchable list, created with information from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, to find information about the state’s orchards:
Dining and Cooking