Baking is bonding experience
CAMBRIDGE - When life gives you apples - even if you picked them yourself - make apple pie.
That's what Jesse Gordon and his 10-year-old son, Julien, have been doing since early fall, when an outing to an apple orchard netted them more Macouns, McIntoshes, and Galas than they could possibly eat or give away. Their first pie turned out so well, and they had so much fun making it, that it has become a two- to four-pie-a-week habit.
Jesse Gordon, who is a chemist, admits he is not very adept in the kitchen. "I don't own measuring spoons," says the dad. So the pie had to be easy to make. The process also had to hold the attention of a 10-year-old. And the dad wanted something that was "safe for kids to eat and healthy."
In the interest of simplicity, the Gordons decided to start with ready-made crust. They usually use graham cracker. Their recipe, which is very flexible, came together largely from what Gordon had on hand and part of the ease of the recipe is that the pair don't peel the apples. "The skins go in; that's what gives you all the vitamins," says Gordon. They bought pears at the orchard, too, so had plenty of that fruit when they made their first pie. Now they sometimes include pears in their newfound specialty.
The first pie was baked with a secret ingredient. They added applesauce, and liked it enough that it became the standard for the pies that followed. "I had applesauce for Julien's lunch and we wanted a little sweetness," says the dad. They change the flavor every week, depending on what Julien, a fifth-grader at Cambridge Friends School, is carrying in his lunchbox. They never use sugar but sometimes put a bit of honey on top. They also mix a cup of cream into the filling, "because I had some," Gordon explains. This necessitates the use of "lots of apples, because one cup of cream is a lot," adds Julien.
The two frequently use cheese as a top crust, because they like the texture and flavor it adds. The fact that it looks like pizza when it's finished does not hurt its kid appeal. Occasionally they top their pies with granola. "If you put nothing but granola on top, we call it an apple crisp," says Gordon. "Sometimes we hide chocolate chips on the bottom."
On a recent Saturday afternoon, Julien's friends are on hand for an apple pie marathon. Each child has a bowl and is mixing filling. With nothing but apples, applesauce, cream, and spices, says Gordon, the bowls are "entirely lickable" and the kids nibble as they work.
Once they pour the filling into the crusts, the kids decide on the toppings. Using orange and white Colby and cheddar cheeses, Julien's pal Nathan Chun starts out making a face on his pie, but it bakes into more of a spiral design. Another friend opts for a granola topping, which she moistens with honey.
Then they have to wait for everything to bake. The cheese-topped pies are finished first and the young bakers waste no time before digging in. 