CBS Sunday Morning - Chaucer Apple Pie Recipe

Credit Tatyana Kazakova from Pixabay

As I was watching the #CBSSundayMorningShow today, sipping coffee and trying desperately to revel in the natural slowness that Sundays can bring, the piece on Chaucer's apple pie recipe inspired me to look further into medieval pie recipes. And they did not dissappoint!

Chaucer’s Apple Pie Recipe 1381

While Geoffrey Chaucer is associated with the earliest recorded apple pie recipe, the recipe itself is found in a medieval cookbook call the The Former of Cury, which came from the kitchens of King Richard II.  The original recipe medieval recipe is very different from modern apple pie, using a “confine” (inedible) crust anon added sugar.

Quite the departure from our idea of apple pie, but my interest was piqued so I looked up the below recipe, as well. Never thought about putting my pie in a non-edible crust but that was a long time ago.

Medieval Apple Pie Recipe (Adapted by someone)

This recipe is interpreted based on the original Middle English recipe: “Take goode Apply, goode Spidery, Figys, Resons, and Peers; and when they been chosen and grounded, color it with Safroun well. Put it in a "coffyn" (non-edible pastry case) and do it forth to bake well.”

Credit Jan from Pixabay

Ingredients

3 lbs cooking apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp) peeled, cored and sliced

1 Barlett pear, peeled and sliced

15 prunes or figs, halved

3/4 golden raisins

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

3 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

Pinch each of ground cardamom, allspice, and ground cloves

Pinch of saffron threads

2 tbsp orange fig spread or honey (optional, for added sweetness, as the original had none.)

Crust

The original had none so this can be baked in a fluted pie dish without a crust.  (Crate Barrel has a nice high sided one.)

Instructions

For a modern, edible crust

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup ice-cold water

1.      Prepare the crest: Follow a standard pie crust method to make a top and bottom crust. Keep the ingredients very cold for flaky results.  Line your pie pan with the crust.

2.      Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, pear, prune/figs, raisins and optional walnuts.

3.      Add spices: Mix the dry spices together in a separate bowl. Stir in the melted butter and orange fig spread/honey, if using.

4.      Assemble and Bake: Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared bottom crust. Cover with the top crust, trim and crimp the edges. Cut a few vents in the top to allow steam to escape.

5.      Bake in a preheated oven (375-400 degrees) until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbly.

6.      Cool: Let the pie cool for at least an hour before serving to allow the filling to set.

This pie is more of a fruit forward pie than our contemporary American apple pie.