Dinner in Alcatraz: Mrs. Langley’s Quickie Apple Pie
Dinner in Alcatraz, from the top: Mrs. Kaeppel’s Cucumber Salad, Mrs. Langley’s Quickie Apple Pie, and Mrs. Delmore’s Stuffed Pork Chops
City/Region: Alcatraz Island, United States of America
Time Period: 1952
The Alcatraz prisoners who landed the coveted job of working in the kitchens were the recipients of several benefits, like early access to food and daily showers. Former Public Enemy Number One, Creepy Karpis, took advantage of some other benefits as well. He would bake himself and his friends all sorts of special little pastries, and with access to yeast and fruit, would whip up batches of prison wine. The kitchen crew often filled matchboxes with baker’s yeast and sold them to other inmates for $5 each, and I’m guessing they weren’t making bread with it.
There isn’t any yeast in this recipe, in fact there isn’t really a crust at all. It’s not the prettiest apple pie around, but it tastes just like apple pie filling, which is to say, delicious.
“6 apples, tart
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
Butter
Sprinkle cinnamon
Pare apples and cut into eighths. Place in deep pie pan and cover with cold water. Boil rapidly for 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Sift together sugar and flour and spread evenly over apples, gently pressing down until juice has covered the top. Don’t stir. Dot with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon, and brown in quick oven. ”
Ingredients:
- 6 tart apples, peeled and cut into slices
- 3/4 cup (90 g) flour
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 2 TBS (28 g) butter
- Cinnamon, for sprinkling on top
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the apple slices in a deep pie pan (be sure this can go on the stovetop) and cover them with cold water.
- Put the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the flour and sugar together and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apples, then press it down gently with a wooden spoon or spatula so that the juice comes up over the top of the flour. Do not mix the sugar and flour into the apples.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and use them to dot the top of the apple pie. Sprinkle cinnamon over it.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top starts to brown. Let it cool slightly, then serve it forth with Mrs. Delmore’s Stuffed Pork Chops, Mrs. Kaeppel’s Cucumber Salad, coffee, and bread.