=========================================================================== BBS: The GWE BBS [ASV/CIN] Date: 08-03-93 (12:50) Number: 372 From: DAPPY #10 @1618002*1 Refer#: NONE To: ALL Recvd: YES Subj: Apple Pandowdy: Fruits of Conf: (37) Home Cooki --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometimes the fireplace oven was used to bake a deep-dish pie called apple pandowdy. The authentic pandowdy of colonial New England was homely, even ugly in appearance, but exquisite in taste. "Dowdy" in those days seemed to have another meaning besides plain or old-fashioned; it meant "to chop." The New England housewife would bake her apple dessert just until the crust was turning crisp and golden. Then she'd take it out of the oven and "dowdy" or chop the crust and the apples together into large pieces right in the baking dish or "pan," bake it a little longer, drizzle it with molasses, and serve it up warm with thick, sweet cream. Apple Pandowdy Pastry *: 1 cup sifted flour 3 tablespoons chilled butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons cold water 2 1/2 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening Filling: 6 cups thinly sliced apples (About 8 large apples, wasged quartered, cored, and pared) 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup molasses 2 tablespoons melted butter water 3 tablespoons molasses * To prepare pastry, add salt to sifted and measured flour in a mixing bowl. With a pastry blender, r two sharp knives worked in a crisscross motion, cut in the lard or vegetable shortening and the butter until flour-and- shortening mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, stirring mixture lightly with a fork so that moisture is evenly distributed. Now mix vogorously with fork until dough forms large clumps. Work with fingers into a ball of dough. Flatten ball slightly and shape into a small square. * Set oven to heat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. * Cut off two-thirds of the square of pastry dough. Wrap remaining one-third in wax paper and set aside. Using a floured rolling pin and a floured board or pastry cloth, roll the two-thirds of the pastry dough into a long strip, about 3 inches wide and 21 inches long, and about 1/8-inch thick. Arrange strip to fit around inside wall of a deep 1 1/2-quart casserole or other baking dish. (Do not cover bottom of dish with pastry; only the sides are to be lined). Pastry should stand about 1/4-inch higher than rim of casserole. Where ends of strip meet, seal together firmly and press against side of dish. * Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Measure the 1/3-cup molasses and add enough water to make 1/2 cup. Blend, and add this mixture and melted butter to apples. * Roll out remaining one-third of pastry dough into a circle just slightly larger than the top of the casserole dish. Turn apple mixture into casserole. Place circle of pastry on top and tuck edges in all around inside rim of dish, overlapping standing rim of pastry. * Bake pandowdy at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, or until crust is pale golden- brown. Remove pandowdy from oven and reset oven heat to 350 degrees. With two sharp knives, 'dowdy' all of the crust and apples by cutting them at a crisscrossinto pieces of about 3/4 to 1 inch, allowing somwe of the syrupy mixture from underneath to bubble up. Do not, however, chop crust and apples too fine or mash them. * Now place a cover on the casserole dish and return it to the oven to bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes longer. Remove the dish from oven, take off cover, drizzle pandowdy with the 3 tablespoons of molasses, and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more. Serve apple pandowdy warm, directly from baking dish. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Via: 1618002*1 1616001*1 2*1 6160*1 1614017*1