ANOTHER (apple pie)

Apples (sliced)
Top and bottom pie crusts
1-2 tbs. nutmeg
Rind of 1/2 orange, grated or chopped fine (optional)
Cinnamon
Butter
Sugar

The other method is to lay the apples into a deep dish with an under crust, and for a large family, no matter how large a dish is used, grate a whole or half nutmeg over, according to the size of the pie, or if you have a fresh orange, cut small the peel of half a one, and sprinkle in with the apple; add a few sticks of cinnamon, a few little bits of butter, and lastly, put on as much sugar as your judgment directs. Cover it, and close the edge, so that the syrup will not escape. Bake from an hour and a half to two hours.

From The Young Housekeeper's Friend by Mrs. [M. H.] Cornelius, 1865

Comment: This was, as the phrasing suggests, originally attached to a different apple pie recipe which we have split into two for convenience of reference. The major difference here is the suggestion to use bits of orange zest along with the standard cinnamon and nutmeg in the pie. The easiest way to determine how much sugar to use in any fruit pie is to simply take one slice of fruit out and eat it. Very sour? Lots of sugar. Very sweet? Not so much. Rather bland, and no strong impression either way? Use lots, and hope that the sugar rush will cause people to overlook the boring nature of the fruit. And make note of the type of apple and remember where you bought them, and resolve to banish both from your purchasing choices in the future. Farmers' markets are a good place to look, but a tree in your yard is even better.

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