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Norske Pie
3/4 cup regulation pancake batter 2 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon butter 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 6 medium-sized apples Pare and slice apples into a greased pie plate. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon, dot with butter. Beat the extra eggs and add to pancake batter, pour over the apples. Bake in moderate oven 350 degrees until apples are tender, about 30 minutes. Serves 6.
A crustless apple pie thickened with pancake batter, closer to a German apple pancake or a clafoutis than to anything with pastry. The one thing it depends on is a batter thin enough to sink between the apple slices.
- "Regulation pancake batter"This refers back to the book's own basic pancake formula, which is not reproduced here. Any standard buttermilk or plain pancake batter works; aim for the thickness of heavy cream so it flows around the fruit rather than sitting on top.
- The two eggs are additionalThey go into the 3/4 cup of batter, not into the fruit, and they are what turns a pancake into a custardy set. Beat them well before combining or the top bakes streaky.
- Apple choiceSix medium apples is about 2 lb, or roughly 6 cups sliced. Use a firm variety that holds its shape -- Granny Smith, Braeburn, Northern Spy. Softer apples collapse to sauce in the 30 minutes given.
- Slice thinlyThirty minutes at 350F is not long for raw apple. Cut no thicker than 1/4 inch and spread them evenly, or the centre will still be crunchy when the batter has set.
- Pie plate sizeThe recipe says only "a greased pie plate"; a 9- or 10-inch plate suits this quantity. The batter quantity is small relative to the fruit, so a deeper dish leaves the apples exposed and dry on top.
- Judging donenessThe batter should be puffed, browned at the edges and firm when the plate is jostled; a knife should meet no resistance in the fruit. Allow up to 40 minutes if the apples are dense or the slices thick.
- ServingServes 6. Best warm rather than hot, when the custard has firmed slightly. Cream, a spoon of sour cream, or lingonberry preserve all suit it.