Apple Cream Pie

In 1951 George E. Snow, a Texas-born real estate salesman, and his wife, Ruth, opened a little restaurant in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that they called the Johnny Appleseed Cottage. No matter that their restaurant’s famed namesake—a.k.a.  John Chapman, born in Massachusetts in 1774—never made it to Colorado, getting only as far west as Fort Wayne, Indiana, as he spent 50 years planting apple seeds and seedlings across a broad stretch of the American frontier.

The Snows’ new restaurant made its debut on August 22 in a little house at 1114 South Nevada Avenue that reportedly had once been owned by Frank Daily, a local underworld figure. There was an apple-shaped neon sign out front that beckoned diners with the promise of pit-barbecue dinners. There were little red apples painted on the eaves of the storybook-like cottage and on the white picket fence that surrounded it. The theme carried inside, where Ruth had seen to it that the walls of both dining rooms were covered with wallpaper depicting scenes in the life of Johnny Appleseed and that the draperies, tables, chairs, dishes, and napkins were in colors associated with different varieties of apples.

As for the specialties of the house, the Snows wisely brought in Andrew Bender, a veteran barbecue man who also happened to be a Baptist minister. Bender, who’d earned his spurs in the kitchen of The Flaming Pit, a famous barbecue restaurant in Denver, slow-cooked all manner of meats in an open pit over applewood and also pork butt, ribs, ham, beef brisket and chicken, barbecued over an open pit using applewood and also turned out charcoal-broiled steaks and trout.

In 1954 a national magazine dubbed the Johnny Appleseed “justly famous,” citing its barbecued meats and excellent desserts. The star of the restaurant’s dessert menu was—what else?—a luscious Apple Cream Pie.

In 1957, for reasons that have been lost to history, the Johnny Appleseed quietly closed its doors, and the quaint little cottage sat vacant for three years. In 1961 Lee and Bonnie Coleman reopened it as the Johnny Appleseed Restaurant, but they apparently weren’t stay in business for more than a few months.

The Snows later moved to Denver, where Ruth died at age 74 in 1977 and George at age 83 in 1985.

Print Recipe

Apple Cream Pie

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Makes 1 pie

Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup shortening, roughly cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
• 2 tablespoons cold milk
• 5 medium apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

1

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt to combine. Add the cold, cubed shortening and toss to evenly coat each piece in flour.

2

Use a pastry cutter or your hands to cut the shortening into the flour until the pieces are the size of peas. If the mixture feels sticky at any point, refrigerate for 10 minutes before proceeding.

3

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the cold milk and gently toss to combine. Once the dough comes together, fold it over itself a few times, form into a disk about 1-inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4

When ready, roll out the dough into a circle about 11 1/2 inches in diameter, the right size for a 9-inch single crust pie

5

Transfer the prepared pie dough to a 9-inch pie plate, trim away excess dough, and crimp as desired. Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet.

6

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

7

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sugar dissolves.

8

Add the quartered apples to the saucepan and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

9

Using a slotted spoon, gently lift the apple pieces out of them saucepan and place them in the prepared pie crust, being careful not to break them. (Do not discard the liquid remaining in the saucepan.)

10

In a medium bowl, whisk together the beaten egg and whipping cream, add the syrup from the saucepan, and stir until well-blended. Gently pour the liquid mixture over the apple pieces in the prepared pie crust.

11

Bake the pie in the 350-degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is a golden brown and crisp.