The genius trick for turning Ritz crackers into apple pie filling to make a delicious mock apple pie

Mini mock apple pies on a baking sheet by Kat Lieu

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dear friend,

I was seriously craving apple pie, especially the one I grew up on, you know, the McDonald’s version. But I have not ordered from McDonald’s for so long now, and won’t be heading there for just the apple pie. I also had no apples or apple sauce at home, so, I had to be a little creative. For years, I’ve seen folks online make apple pies using Ritz and other buttery crackers, and I had those at home, along with egg tart shells.

I thought, why not make mini mock apple pies with what I already have in the pantry? I adapted the recipe from Ritz. It was popular during the olden days, around the Great Depression.

Ritz pie vintage recipe

Of course, I had to scale down the recipe and reduce the sugar. I also thought that for more apple flavor, one could use apple juice instead of water!

The result were mini mock apple pies I think would be perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, and Thanksgiving. When my husband tried it, he said it tasted just like McDonald’s apple pies, and he was so surprised that I used zero apples to make them! The filling became jammy because the Ritz crackers soaked up the sugar water. The cream, tartar, and lemon juice mimicked the tartness of apples. And the cinnamon— you can’t skip that because that makes the pies warm and taste apple-pie-ish.

I liked not having to boil down apples or slice them. All in all, I think I would make this recipe again and feel you should try it at least once, if not for the fun and science of it!

xoxoxo,
Kat Lieu

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108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen

By Lieu, Kat

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Reel of the recipe:

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Yield 5 mini pies

Author Kat Lieu

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

30 Min

Print

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The best mock apple pie recipe

I was craving apple pie but didn't have any apples, so I made a Great Depression recipe: the Mock Apple Pie. This recipe was adapted from one found on Allrecipes.com

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Ingredients

For the mini apple pies

• 1 cup apple juice or water
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (if using water), 1/4 cup sugar if using apple juice
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 15 buttery crackers, like Ritz
• 1/2 a lemon's juice
• Dashes of ground cinnamon
• 5 egg tart shells

For the topping (crumble)

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 5 buttery crackers, crushed
• a little lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Alternatively, use puff pastry, cut into strips, to top the mini pies (but you will need some egg wash if you do this)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add the water or apple juice, sugar, and cream of tartar or vinegar, and mix until all the sugar dissolves. Heat over medium and once the water boils, add the crackers and reduce the heat to medium-low.
3. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Squirt in the lemon juice and sprinkle the ground cinnamon over the crackers. If you'd like, you can also zest the lemon and add it to the crackers.
4. Remove from heat and scoop the soggy crackers (your "apple pie filling") into the egg tart shells. You should have enough to fit five egg tart shells.
5. Make your topping by combining all the topping ingredients. Spoon the crumble over the top of the pies. Alternatively, you cut puff pastry into strips to top the mini pies. Be sure to use egg wash if you're doing that.
6. Bake the pies until the tops and the egg tart shells are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and set over a wire rack to cool. Enjoy these nice and warm, with tea!

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