Schnitz pie recipe
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Here's how I make schnitz pie, a traditional recipe from the PA Dutch that's perfect this time of year.🍎
Apples grow so abundantly in certain parts of Pennsylvania that you could cook with them all autumn and still have plenty left over. Schnitz pie was created with dried apples in mind, which were made by laying slices on roofs or over racks for up to 48 hours (depending on the humidity, which is wild up here).
The result is a happy marriage of apple and pumpkin pie. The filling is the consistency of thicker apple butter. Due to their popularity, you'll sometimes see schnitz pies sold in country stores and at festivals.
If you didn't know, Pennsylvania Dutch (or PA German) refers to both the people that settled in this area as well as the dialect they spoke. They referred to themselves as Deitsch, from the German Deutsch, which evolved into Dutch. They were Lutheran, Reformed, and Catholic as well as Anabaptist (e.g. Amish and Mennonite).
If you’re a Patreon member, I just posted this recipe with extended notes and step-by-step pictures. You’ll also find a recipe card you can reference or print.
You will need:
- 3 - 3½ cups dried apples
- 2¾ cups water
- ¼ tsp. lemon extract
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 unbaked pie crusts
- 1 egg yolk for brushing (optional)
- coarse sugar (optional)
1. Soak dried apples in water for several hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425°.
3. Turn the heat on low and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
4. Mash apples until smooth.
5. Add lemon extract, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Mix.
6. Line your pan with a pie shell. Pour in the filling.
7. Poke a few holes in your top crust. Cover pie. Press the edges together to seal.
8. Brush the top with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
9. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° and continue baking for another 30 minutes. Serve warm. (Or cold, says my husband.)
There’s likely a way to make this pie using fresh apples or apple butter, but I’m not sure about proportions. If you’re a more advanced kitchen witch, please feel free to share your thoughts!