Ritz cracker mock apple pie (For Science!)

zyxst

It was brought up in this thread, Machka9's post #6 down - http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10419195/have-you-ever-tried-clean-eating/p6 . I posted that if I could find cream of tartar, I would make it.

TL;DR - Does it taste like apple pie?



YES.

It is not as apple-y as a real apple pie, but if you didn't know it had no apples in it, it would be okay. The texture of the crackers is soggy/soft/mushy, unlike the apple pies I've eaten which were slightly firm/al dente. I confess I did not use Ritz crackers. The store brand was $1.50 cheaper and I was on a tight budget this week. If I had cream of tartar at home, I would've gone with Ritz (CoT cost $6.49 for an 85g bottle & I'll never use it again).

Was it worth making and eating?

No and yes.

It would've been cheaper to buy a pre-made apple pie, but I did this purely for science and to give concrete evidence that yes, someone made mock apple pie and ate it, rather than relying on the urban legend method of my sister's-husband's-mother's-great aunt Matilda made it for her toothless goat during the Depression but she's dead* & I can't ask.

Here's the down and dirty info for the curious:

I used this recipe from Kraft Canada - http://www.kraftcanada.com/recipes/ritz-mock-apple-pie-83403

This is the logging info from the recipe builder:


The cooked pie (I like it browner):


A close-up of the insides:


A slice with Cool Whip on top (I ate mine without):





*Aunt Matilda died; the goat is fine, albeit still toothless.

sparklyglitterbomb

You rock! I kept finding vintage recipes for it and was so curious. I might still make one someday just to taste it for myself.

glassyo

Now it's the urban legend of "someone on the internet".

Thanks for taking one for the team! It doesn't look half bad.

queenliz99

Amazeballs! When I was about 10 years old I had made this. I liked it then but now, because of you, I need to make it again thank you for this

diannethegeek

Thank you so much for this!

zyxst

queenliz99 wrote: »

Amazeballs! When I was about 10 years old I had made this. I liked it then but now, because of you, I need to make it again thank you for this

I have cream of tartar you can use. Only 2 tsp gone!

LaceyBirds

I'm nominating you for the Nobel in Filthy Foodology this year!



The close-up of the center looks absolutely yummy.

zyxst wrote: »

I have cream of tartar you can use. Only 2 tsp gone!

Make Snickerdoodles! And send some to me.

queenliz99

zyxst wrote: »

queenliz99 wrote: »

Amazeballs! When I was about 10 years old I had made this. I liked it then but now, because of you, I need to make it again thank you for this

I have cream of tartar you can use. Only 2 tsp gone!

I already have some, thank you anyway! Lemon Meringue Pie needs cream of tartar

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/lemon-meringue-pie-recipe.html

spinnerdell

Thank you, Zyxst, for this well-documented cooking demonstration. Apple pie was a favorite of all three of my husbands (sequential, not simultaneous), but I always thought the apple preparation was a giant PITA. Your pie photos look luscious enough to tempt me to try this long-scorned recipe. Two jars of cream of tartar sit on my spice rack for some reason...

zyxst

spinnerdell wrote: »

Thank you, Zyxst, for this well-documented cooking demonstration. Apple pie was a favorite of all three of my husbands (sequential, not simultaneous), but I always thought the apple preparation was a giant PITA. Your pie photos look luscious enough to tempt me to try this long-scorned recipe. Two jars of cream of tartar sit on my spice rack for some reason...

I have no patience to cook the apples. That's why I buy pre-made pies. Not that this was any easier, but cooking crackers in boiling sugar water takes less time than apples.

Jruzer

I'm late to the party, but Brava!

TR0berts

I'm feeling a little lazy. How did that Calorie count and macro breakdown stack up to other apple pies? I think I'm feeling lazy because there's so many versions to compare to.

Francl27

... but Ritz crackers are not 'clean'.

Had to say it.

But thanks for making this!

TR0berts wrote: »

I'm feeling a little lazy. How did that Calorie count and macro breakdown stack up to other apple pies? I think I'm feeling lazy because there's so many versions to compare to.

I think most pies are 400 calories a slice. So yeah I'm scratching my head a little about why it's even worth bothering.

zyxst

TR0berts wrote: »

I'm feeling a little lazy. How did that Calorie count and macro breakdown stack up to other apple pies? I think I'm feeling lazy because there's so many versions to compare to.

Here is the Farmer's Market apple cinnamon pie:


Here is the Compliments apple crumble pie:


McDonalds apple pie:


These are the ones I commonly buy.

zyxst

Francl27 wrote: »

... but Ritz crackers are not 'clean'.

Had to say it.

But thanks for making this!

I can pronounce all the ingredients!

AlisonH729

I'm all about food experiments. (Black bean brownies are still on the list.) But at least with the brownies you are adding in the beans which arguably add some fiber and protein to the mix, but what's the point of taking out the apples? (Being from the northeast where apples grow plentifully this also feels a little blasphemous.) If it's a time thing they make store made crust and canned filling. Or just a store baked pie! I just, I don't... I... I'm just going to put apple butter on crackers because I don't get it.

Thanks for doing this for the sake of science though @zyxst.
I have a super sugar cookie recipe that uses cream of tartar. The exact one is at home, but it's close to this.

JaneSnowe

AlisonH729 wrote: »

I'm all about food experiments. (Black bean brownies are still on the list.) But at least with the brownies you are adding in the beans which arguably add some fiber and protein to the mix, but what's the point of taking out the apples? (Being from the northeast where apples grow plentifully this also feels a little blasphemous.) If it's a time thing they make store made crust and canned filling. Or just a store baked pie! I just, I don't... I... I'm just going to put apple butter on crackers because I don't get it.

Thanks for doing this for the sake of science though @zyxst.
I have a super sugar cookie recipe that uses cream of tartar. The exact one is at home, but it's close to this.

It's actually a very old recipe that was used way back when apples weren't available year-round. I think it's fantastic that someone tested it out to share the results with us.

AlisonH729

JaneSnowe wrote: »

It's actually a very old recipe that was used way back when apples weren't available year-round. I think it's fantastic that someone tested it out to share the results with us.

I do too! I think the Why is more directed at Kraft Nabisco who was pushing this recipe hard during a time when Ritz cost more per pound than apples. It was marketing and nothing else in my opinion.

I can understand this recipe being used during the Great Depression (I'm reading it originated earlier still) crackers were cheap, though I wonder how many people would have been willing to use two cups of sugar to make it.

TR0berts

Thanks. In that case, I'll keep on eating regular apple pie. On the rare occasion, that is, that I eat apple pie.

JaneSnowe

AlisonH729 wrote: »

JaneSnowe wrote: »

It's actually a very old recipe that was used way back when apples weren't available year-round. I think it's fantastic that someone tested it out to share the results with us.

I do too! I think the Why is more directed at Kraft Nabisco who was pushing this recipe hard during a time when Ritz cost more per pound than apples. It was marketing and nothing else in my opinion.

I can understand this recipe being used during the Great Depression (I'm reading it originated earlier still) crackers were cheap, though I wonder how many people would have been willing to use two cups of sugar to make it.

Oh I see where you're coming from! Yeah, that puts a whole different light on it. Sorry for misunderstanding you!

Alluminati

this looks absolutely fantastic.