Easy as Pie
I try not to brag, but my first apple pie turned out to be a masterpiece—flaky crust, tart but sweet apples, perfect baking time. I was nine years old when I baked that pie. My mom pretty much turned the kitchen over to me. I pored over the recipe and followed it oh-so-carefully. Everyone loved it, and that launched my love of baking. I love it that I can pull out a recipe, gather the ingredients, follow the steps, and usually have a more-than-edible dish at the end of the process. I open the oven door, peer inside, and marvel that I made that!
About ten years ago, just before Thanksgiving, my husband had a bad fall with lots of broken body parts ensuing. He was in the hospital over the holiday and for a bit afterward. My daughter and I realized that we’d have to refigure our holiday dinner plans. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to finagle a full turkey dinner with all the attendant fixings up to his hospital room. So we asked him what one traditional Thanksgiving dish he would like. He answered immediately, “Apple pie.” Done and done. That I could provide in a hospital room.
That Thanksgiving morning I got up and peeled half a dozen Granny Smith apples. I chopped them into bite-sized pieces and coated them with sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I prepared the pie dough from scratch, cutting butter into the flour and salt mixture and adding water to get just the right consistency for the pie dough. I put the pie dough into the pie plate and poured the spiced apples into the crust. I placed the top crust on, sealed the edges, and cut in the vent holes. I slid the pie into the oven and prepared a basket with plates and forks, and I put a container of vanilla ice cream into a little cooler. When the pie was done, I loaded everything up and headed down to the hospital.
Kate, her then-boyfriend, and I met up in Charlie’s hospital room, and we had our Thanksgiving feast of apple pie. It was the best pie I’ve ever baked. Charlie still says so. I came home that day with about half a pie and prepared cheese quesadillas for my Thanksgiving dinner. I felt satisfied all the way around.
That’s what baking does for me. It satisfies something in me. I love rolling out pie dough. I enjoy kneading bread dough. I savor baking a family recipe for chocolate cake, Aunt Gen’s Chocolate Cake, and coating it with rich buttercream frosting. I look forward to turning out a delicious batch of cookies—chocolate chip, peanut butter, snickerdoodles, oatmeal, and our favorite, Chocolate Nut Revels, another family recipe.
I’ve used baking to connect with our grandson. So far we’ve worked together to bake a peach pie—heavenly! We turned out a double recipe of chocolate chip cookies—outstanding! We go slowly and talk about what we’re doing and fantasize about the finished product. It’s been a great way for us to get to know one another. (Note: The picture above shows you what chocolate chip cookies look like when a nine-year-old puts them on the baking sheet–they’re the cookies of my dreams!)
Baking has ever-so-many benefits, including a yummy product to eat at the end!
Questions for you: How do you feel about baking? What gives you this kind of satisfaction—maybe it’s eating apple pie?!