Long ago in late 19th century Milwaukee, a committee of midwives took it upon themselves to create a book that would help immigrants learn not only to read, but also to cook. The note on the title page of the cookbook they created reads: “The path to a man’s heart…” It’s called the Settlement Cookbook.

There is a section called house rules with information on setting a table, weights and measurements, and using a planter outside the pantry or kitchen window to keep food fresh. I don’t remember the window box in my grandmother’s kitchen, but I do remember the big, leafy apple tree in the yard that shaded the kitchen and provided apples for her apple pie which was the best. Of course, the recipe for the crust came from the Settlement Cookbook and included lots of butter, that’s the trick. My grandmother made a bunch of pies at once, rolling that crust up all afternoon. She stacked those cakes in her freezer, wrapped in wax paper. Then during the holidays, she would give us a cake to take home with us. My mom would take the wax paper and string that tied the cake together and put it in the oven and you could smell it baking there, knowing that she was going to come out all crispy and cinnamony and not too sugary. She tasted like apples and not syrup.

Of course, we also had cake with our holiday meals at Grandma’s house. We were there every Christmas and Easter and also every two months during the year. We didn’t always have the cake, but when we did, it was always a special treat. It always felt warm and cozy at my grandmother and grandfather’s house. My grandfather listened to the Milwaukee Braves on the kitchen radio. He rocked back and forth in his rocking chair with his leg dangling over the side. He sometimes smoked a cigarette. He other times he would take his harmonica out and play Oh Suzanna. When my grandmother used to can pickles, she always said, “Who put all that hay in the cucumbers?” because my grandmother used fresh dill.

THE RECIPE

The crust ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lard or butter
1/4 cup cold water (approximately)

How to make the crust:

Melt the fat, add water and mix with the rest to obtain a smooth dough. Cool. Remove cooled crust from refrigerator. Dust the surface where you will roll it out and lightly dust the rolling pin with flour. Use about 3/4 of the crust for the bottom. Roll out bottom crust to 1/4-inch thickness from center to edges in short strokes, keeping as round as possible. If it starts to split at the edge, fill the cracks together. If the dough sticks to the surface, loosen with a spatula and sprinkle with flour. Transfer the bottom crust to the pie pan and prick with a fork about 4 times so it doesn’t bubble. Trim the edges with a knife. Bake at 425 degrees so it browns a bit and doesn’t get soggy when you bake it with the fruit inside.

Ingredients for the pie filling:

4-5 granny smith apples or apples of your choice
cinnamon to taste
brown sugar to taste
nutmeg to taste if desired
other spices to taste if desired

How to finish the cake:

Core and cut the apples. Mix in a bowl with the spices. Put aside.

Remove the bottom crust from the oven and fill with the apples. Roll out the top crust, fold in half, and transfer to cover the pie. Then unfold it to cover the fruit. Make 3 or 4 cuts with a knife so that the steam escapes. Pinch the edges to join them to the bottom crust. Trim the edges with a knife. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes. Reduce heat and bake another 20 to 40 minutes until top crust is golden around the edges.