Ridpath pie recipe found for holidays

Reader Jennifer Linville wrote a note recently asking for the recipe for Silver Grill Apple Pie, a family favorite she clipped from the paper a dozen years ago.

“I somehow misplaced it and have lamented that fact ever since. It was for Silver Grill Apple Pie from Silver Grill at the Ridpath Hotel. It was unusual as the apples were first baked in the crust and then a syrup made from boiling down the apple cores and peels, honey, water, etc., was then poured through a hole in the top crust of the finished pie. … I’ve missed it greatly, and with the holidays coming up, my whole extended family is clamoring for it.”

The original recipe appeared in The Spokesman-Review’s Dining Out with Dorothy Dean column in October 1958 and it was reprinted in the Food section in 1999. We’ve reprinted it again below.

Urs Moser, executive chef at the Spokane Club, recently shared an apple recipe with The Spokesman-Review. Apfel kuchlein is a childhood favorite from his mother’s kitchen, he said in a news release.

Moser, who was the oldest of 11 children growing up on a farm in Switzerland, credits his mom for inspiring his culinary career. Apple trees were plentiful on the farm.

“Fall was always a special time there,” Moser says. “I loved climbing trees to pick apples, pears and walnuts and, of course, driving the tractor back and forth. My family spent a lot of time in the fields picking apples for fresh-pressed cider. One of my fondest memories is coming back from the fields to see mother making Apfel Kuchlein over the old cast iron stove. The smell of vanilla and cinnamon was wonderful.”

Silver Grill Apple Pie

Reprinted from The Spokesman-Review’s “Dining Out with Dorothy Dean” column, Oct. 19, 1958)

Core, peel and slice enough fresh, tart, well-washed apples to make 6 cups of apple slices, about 1/4-inch thick. Place apple slices in bowl and dredge them with a mixture of 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.

Combine peelings and cores with 1 pint of water, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

Strain off liquid and thicken it with 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water. This liquid will be added to the pie after it’s baked.

Line a 9-inch pie pan with a good flaky-type pastry rolled to about the thickness of a nickel. Pile sliced and sugared apples into shell; cover with a pastry top into which a 1/2-inch circular vent has been cut to allow steam to escape.

Brush top of the crust with milk to aid in browning. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and pour into it through the top vent as much of the liquid mixture as the pie will hold.

Let the pie cool to room temperature before cutting.

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie

Apfel Kuchlein

From Urs Moser, Spokane Club executive chef.

4 apples (see note)

For the batter:

1 cup flour

2 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup milk

¼ cup heavy cream

For the sugar mixture:

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel and core apples, slice into 1/8-inch rounds.

To make the batter, combine flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla, milk and cream. Whisk together. Whisk together sugar and cinnamon.

Dip apples in batter and sauté in butter on medium heat until golden brown. Remove apples from pan and coat both sides in sugar and cinnamon mixture. Serve with Crème Anglaise (recipe follows).

Crème Anglaise

2 cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean split lengthwise

5 large egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

Heat cream and vanilla bean in sauce pan. When softened, remove vanilla bean from pan and scrape. Add bean scrapings back into the cream. Bring cream mixture to simmer. Remove from heat.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Stir over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain cream through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cover and chill. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

Note: Moser recommends trying Honeycrisp apples for this recipe.