Mock Apple Pie

I thought it best to start things off with a caker classic. For me, this recipe sums up caker cooking in all its glory. Take something as simplistic and wholesome as apple pie, only cut out the apples and replace them with…crackers?

Oh, let’s face it. Who has the time and energy to peel all those apples? A word of warning: This looks, tastes and smells so much like apple pie you’ll be called a liar when you serve it. No one will believe it doesn’t contain apples, so keep the recipe close at hand if you’re requested to produce evidence. And yes, the photo above is an actual piece of mock apple pie.

2 cups of water

1 ¼ cups of sugar

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

20 Ritz crackers

Double pie crust

Cinnamon

Butter

Heat oven to 400º.

Bring water, sugar and cream of tartar to a boil in a saucepan. Drop in 20 whole Ritz crackers. Don’t break them up and don’t stir. Allow to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.  While that’s cooling, you can make your pie crust. The recipe can be one of your choosing, although if you’re going for true caker style, don’t even think about making it from scratch. Buy the ready-made dough.

Lay one pie dough inside your pie dish. Pour the slightly cooled cracker mixture into it. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and a few dots of butter or margarine before adding the top crust. Seal the edges. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

Source: A.R.C. Industries Cookbook (Desserts, Preserves, Candy, Pastry, Miscellaneous), Napanee, Ontario