Apples, apples, apples all over, it's that wonderful season when all trees in the orchards are dotted with ripening fruit.
It's the season when the smell of baking apples in various apple dishes wafts through the neighborhood.
Are you wondering how to use the apples creatively? Try delicious Amish Schnitz pie and you will make it every season.
The Amish Experience in Lancaster
A few years back, I visited the Amish Country and fell in love with Lancaster. We stayed at the AmishView Inn, a wonderful place for tourists.
The Amish Landscape is beautiful, decorated with large plantations of various crops, and fruit orchards and I cannot fail to mention the well-maintained white fences that mark boundaries in the farms.
We enjoyed horse buggy rides around the Amish neighborhoods.
Clippity clop,clippity clop, the beautiful rhythmic sound of horse hooves on the tarmac still rings in my head. On the last day of our tour, we visited the Kauffman orchards.
This was a highlight as we picked apples in pails and bushels. The Kauffman Orchard’s cider is a signature drink that will leave you craving for more.
I bought very many fresh apples and packets of dried sliced apples known as Schnitz in Pennsylvania Dutch. I was attracted by the price and variety of their great products made from apples. Driving back home, I couldn't wait to refer to my collection of Amish recipe books and articles.
Amish Apple Sauce Cake Recipe. Click to Read.
Why I Love Amish Recipes
I fell in love with Amish recipes for as long as I can remember learning to read. My mama would make me copy recipes from the local dailies to her recipe notebook. I recall looking forward to this exercise more than my school work lol.
This is how I became a great fan of reading recipes and trying them out. I inherited a deep love for culinary adventure from my mother. When we came back from Lancaster, I quickly went to dig out one of my favorite Amish recipes.
I came across a recipe we copied from a book by Edna Steabler, a celebrated and award-winning writer and journalist. The book was titled ‘Food that Schmecks’ originally published in 1968. Edna Steabler grew up in Waterloo country in the heart of Mennonite and Amish settlements in Ontario Canada.
She moved in with some of the Amish people as she sought to learn about their cuisine. We adapted the recipe from her book and did a little tweaking by adding spices.
Why the Amish Schnitz Apple Pie?
The Amish and Mennonites are a group of religious people who escaped Europe and settled in America. They need a place to practice their newfound belief that differed from the then church that worked hand in hand with the State.
This unwavering stand in their teaching and doctrine made them face severe persecution. They fled to find peace in parts of the United States and Canada.
The conservative group prefers to live a secluded life avoiding modern consciences such as electricity and cars. They speak a German dialect known as ‘Pennsylvania Dutch and German language during their church services.
The name Schnitz is adopted from the German language and the recipe is a relative of the German apple pie.
Also, Check out: Amish Apple Fritters. HERE
Schnitz (Sliced Dried Fruits)
You might be wondering what is this strange word that is so hard to pronounce lol .. Schnitz simply means sliced dried fruits in the German language.
Amish Schnitz Apple Pie is also closely related to the famous American Apple pie but it is unique as it calls for the use of sliced dried apples. As opposed to having apple chunks in your pie, these pies are creamier and more smooth in texture.
You can use applesauce or apple butter but there is a special flavor achieved when you use dried apples in your recipe.
Other uses of Schnitz, dried sliced apples.
What makes this pie stand out from apple pies is the Schnitz that is used to make the pie filling. You can buy dried slices or make your own if you have a dehydrator.
With snacks in bulk from the Kauffman farm shop. I had enough to make various recipes such as Schnitz un knepp a Pennsylvania Dutch comfort food.
Schnitz un knepp is made of cooked ham and dried apple slices. Schnitz, dried sliced apples in this case make a very healthy snack for children too.
INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTION
Pie Crust
½ cup cold butter
Butter is mixed with flour enhancing the flakiness of the pastry dough.
½ cup cold shortening
Just like butter, the shortening creates the flakiness of the pastry dough.
3 cups all-purpose flour
Regular all-purpose flour works well, if you can access pastry flour, the more flaky your dough will be.
½ teaspoon Salt
Enhances the flavor of the pastry dough.
½ cup Ice cold water
Ice cold water moisturizes the dough as well as maintains a low temperature. This contributes to a flaky crust.
1 tablespoon vinegar
A little vinegar added to the pastry dough makes it very soft.
Pie Filling
4 cups of dried sliced apples
This makes the major part of the pie filling. If you have a dehydrator, core and slice the apples into thin slices. Dip them into lemon juice, drain in a colander, and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Cinnamon flavors enhance the deliciousness of the pie filling. Spread the apple slices on the dehydrator trays. Set the timer for 4 hours. Store the dried sliced apples in an airtight container.
If you happen to be in Lancaster County, you can purchase the apple Schnitz in bulk at the Kauffan farm markets.
If you do not have dried apple slices, you could substitute them with apple butter or applesauce.
3 cups water
Water is used to soak the dried apple slices overnight. The same liquid is used in cooking the apple slices till they turn very soft.
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Adds its special warm and woody flavor to the pie filling
1 teaspoon nutmeg
The nutty and strong aroma of nutmeg enhances the overall flavor of the pie filling. You can substitute with ground cloves.
⅔ cup sugar
Sugar sweetens the pie filling, balancing the tartness in the apple filling. You could substitute with brown sugar which is less refined or stevia powder a healthier sweetener.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Food processor
If you are making your pie crust from scratch, use a processor to mix the butter and shortening into a sand-like mixture.
- Rolling pin
Use a rolling pin to spread the pastry dough on the pastry mat.
- Marked pastry mat
A pastry mat is essential when rolling pastry dough. It will guide you to roll out the right side of the pastry dough to be lined on the pie dish.
- Middle-sized Saucepan
Used for boiling the Schnitz, the dried apple slices.
- 9 Inch pie dish
You need this to bake the pie, you can use a glass dish or a cast iron pie dish. A glass dish is more appropriate as you can see the crust browning.
An aluminum pan works well too especially if you are making many pies to give as gifts or for a small gathering.
FAQ Apple Schnitz Pie
This recipe stores well on the kitchen counter for two days in an airtight container because it does not contain a lot of dairy products except for the butter. If you want your pie to last longer, let's say a week store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
This pie freezes well too, especially when wrapped with plastic wrap and kept in a freezer-friendly bag. It can last in the freezer for about 3 months.
If you want your pie to last longer, let's say a week store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
This pie freezes well too, especially when wrapped with plastic wrap and kept in a freezer-friendly bag. It can last in the freezer for about 3 months.
Expert tip
Early preparation will always ensure you spend less time on the day you will decide to bake the pie.
- Soak the Schnitz or dried apple slices in water overnight.
- If you're making the pie crust from scratch, make it ahead of time preferably the day before.
Amish Apple Schnitz Pie
Ingredients
- ½ cup Cold butter
- ½ cup Cold shortening
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Ice cold water
- 1 tablespoon Vinegar
Pie Filling
- 4 cups Dried sliced apples
- 3 cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg
- ⅔ cup Sugar
Instructions
- Add a tablespoon at a time of ice-cold water and vinegar into the flour and butter mixture
- Turn over the mixture on a clean surface and form a ball with your hands. Work fast to form a ball, and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into two pieces, roll it into two round discs, line up the two pie plates, and set them in the refrigerator as you prepare the pie filling.
Blind baking the pie crust
- Preheat the oven to 345 F
- With a rolling pin, out the pie crust to about 12 inches wide at the center.
- Gently pick the rolled pie dough and line it on the pie dish. Make your desired patterns at the edge of the pie plate. Poke holes in the crust to keep it from
- Brush the pie crust with melted butter and bake it for 15 minutes.
- Brush with egg and bake for 10 minutes.
How to make the Schnitz Pie Filling
- In a saucepan add the soaked Schnitz, sugar, and spices.
- Boil the soaked Schnitz in the same liquid for about 20 minutes until soft.
- With a potato masher or preferably a blender to blend the boiled sliced apples to form a puree.
- Let the puree cool before pouring it into the pie shells.
BAKING THE SCHNITZ APPLE PIE
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Pour the pie filling into the par-baked pie shell.
- Line the pie dish with the rolled pastry dough. Cut off excess dough.
- Create beautiful patterns on the edges as you would desire.
- With a wet fingertip, apply little water on the top of the bottom pie shell. This will make the two crusts stick together during the baking.
- Cover the bottom crust and the pie filling with the top crust. Ensure the top and bottom parts are sealed together.
- Cut slits on the top pie crust to let out steam while baking. You can make star patterns with the remaining pastry dough and stick them on the top pie crust. Brush the top of the crust with an egg wash.
- Bake in a preheated oven first at 350F for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature and bake for 35 minutes at 300F.
- Your pie should have a beautiful golden brown color when ready.
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing.
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