Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Little Baked Apple Pies


In the English colonies the apple pie had to wait for carefully planted pips, brought in barrels across the Atlantic, to become fruit-bearing apple trees, to be selected for their cooking qualities. In the meantime, the colonists were more likely to make their pies, or "pasties", from meat rather than fruit; and the main use for apples, once they were available, was in cider. But there are American apple pie recipes, both manuscript and printed, from the eighteenth century, and it has since become a very popular dessert.

Apple pie was a common food in eighteenth century Delaware. As noted by the New Sweden historian Dr. Israel Acrelius in a letter: “Apple pie is used throughout the whole year, and when fresh Apples are no longer to be had, dried ones are used. It is the evening meal of children.”

A mock apple pie made from crackers was apparently invented by pioneers on the move during the nineteenth century who were bereft of apples. In the 1930s, and for many years afterwards, Ritz Crackers promoted a recipe for mock apple pie using its product, along with sugar and various spices.

Although apple pies have been eaten since long before the European colonisation of the Americas, "as American as apple pie" is a saying in the United States, meaning "typically American". In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, apple pie became a symbol of American prosperity and national pride. A newspaper article published in 1902 declared that “No pie-eating people can be permanently vanquished.” The dish was also commemorated in the phrase "for Mom and apple pie" - supposedly the stock answer of American soldiers in World War II, whenever journalists asked why they were going to war.

Advertisers exploited the patriotic connection in the 1970s with the commercial jingle "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet". There are claims that the Apple Marketing Board of New York State used such slogans as "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" and "as American as apple pie!", and thus "was able to successfully 'rehabilitate' the apple as a popular comestible" in the early twentieth century when prohibition outlawed (citation needed) the production of cider.

The unincorporated community of Pie Town, New Mexico is named in honour of the apple pie.
By http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_pie#Apple_pie_in_American_culture

The state of Vermont adopted apple pie as the official state pie in 1999.

I grow up in Springfield, Vermont. Beautiful state. I love the mountains. Growing up, us kids would run and play in the mountains. I loved the swimming holes. We went swimming in several beautiful places, but I remember this one swimming hole, we had to walk down this long trail, which seem like a long way. It was worth it when we arrived at the swimming hole. The water was cool and clean. It was so clean you could see the bottom. I miss those swimming holes. I don't like to swim in the lakes here in Texas.

 
Little Baked Apple Pies
Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:
1 can large buttermilk biscuits
1 (21 oz) can apple pie filling
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
flour, for work surface

Directions:
In large skillet, over low heat, add butter. Once butter melted, add apple pie filling, cinnamon, ground ginger and light brown sugar. Stir occasionally. Remove biscuits from can, lightly flour biscuits and roll each one out to 5 inch rounds. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon apple pie filling on each round. Fold each round over pie filling, making half moon shapes. To seal, flour fork and pressing around the edges with the tines of a fork. Using a fork prick each pie to vent. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray. Back 18 to 20 minutes, until golden. Enjoy!

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41 comments:

  1. Those are cute, Christine. If I just saw them sitting there, I would have thought they are meat pies. Great idea!

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  2. Delicious looking Christine! What a quick easy dessert! Now to go look and see if I have any biscuits in the fridge hehehe.

    you grew up in a state I have always wanted to visit. :-)

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  3. Wow, these look so easy and so tasty! Instant apple pies, I love it! Thanks for the apple history, I always look forward to these food history lessons!

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  4. That's sounds delicious, I am still to make pies so thanks for the share.

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  5. I love miniature desserts Very cute! and interesting background info an apple pies.

    http://foodfashionandflow.blogspot.com/

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  6. These look awesome one of my favorite coffee and dessert treats!

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  7. Oh Christine these look so good. I bet they are delicious too :)

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  8. These are really cute Christine!

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  9. How cute are those? Love it, Christine.

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  10. The pies look adorable! A perfect slice neatly packaged! The swimming hole of your childhood sounds idyllic

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  11. I love little apple pies like this! They're so cute and yummy! Great recipe, Christine!

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  12. These are so cute! I love the idea of using biscuit dough to make these.

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  13. These are adorable! I bet they are oh-so-yummy.

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  14. I love anything personal-size and mini :) These look super delicious, I want one :)

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  15. How neat to use buttermilk biscuits. Nothing like a time saver!

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  16. The only apple pie that I'd eaten this past few months was from mcdonald ugh ! hee hee & your recipe looks so easy , will try it one of these days ;)

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  17. I can't get enough of apple pies, I just love it. I'll probably go for more with your mini apple pies!

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  18. Pie town New Mexico does sound like a delicious place to live. Glad I do not have to go there to have a great tasting pie. Your recipe has provided me with all I need. Thanks Christine, I can always rely on you for something delicious and easy to make! Keep 'em coming.

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  19. Thanks y'all for taking time and stopping by. I just love to hear from everyone.

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  20. Thank you for being a part of Christine's Pantry.

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  21. As usual, I've learned a great deal about the history of food here on your blog. These little pies remind me of the vegetable-filled or meat-filled patties in the Jamaican restaurants. Do you ever put icing on them? That's my kind of recipe too--easy! Thanks, I'll be surprising my family at Sunday breakfast with these little pies.

    Cheers,
    Alaiyo

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  22. Cute little pies, christine. Happy baking andi

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  23. Hi Alaiyo,

    Yes, I do place icing on them. They are good with or without icing.

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  24. Super yummy. I'd love to try these out.

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  25. I love how simple these are--they look like little empanadas!

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  26. These sound tantalizing! I'm wondering if I can use a gluten free bisquick mix as substitute. I guess I will just have to try it and see. These simply look to tasty to pass by :)

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  27. Oooh, I love apple pie...and your mini version looks outstanding!

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  28. MMmm!! I'd make these, then eat them out myself!! lol. They sound great!

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  29. Great idea to use biscuits to make these Christine!

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  30. So teeny and cute! And I love the history...

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  31. Hi Mary,

    You can use a gluten free bisquick mix as substitute.

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  32. cute idea! the recipe sounds delicious. Theresa

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  33. Love your great looking mini apple pies. Just enough for a quick, bite, or two, or three:)

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  34. "No pie-eating people can be permanenetly vanished" should be on a tee shirt...another American marketing platform. I enjoy the history tidbits you write about. Thanks!

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  35. Apple pie is my favorite fruit pie! These are so incredibly cute, and I love that you can hold the pie in your hand and eat it without making too much of a mess ;)!

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  36. How cool that you used biscuits for the crust!

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  37. What a perfect way to get your pie fix without having to make a whole pie or a pie crust! So cute.

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  38. Yes pasties!! I love these! These babies are so addicting and so easy to make! :)

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