Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-06-16
APPLE PIE.
by HENRY WARD BEEcHER.

slightest sense of its deep, interior meaning
Thus no phrase is more carelessly or frequent
" used, than the simple saving, "Apple pie or
der" How few who so reflect at the time up
on apple pie or the true order of apple pie
PERHAPS they have been reared without instruc-
ton. They may have been born in families
that were ignorant of apple pie: or who were
left to the guilt Of calling two tough pieces of
half cooked dough with thin streak of Mas
cerated dried apple between them, of leather
color and of taste and texture not unbecoming
the samoan apple pie! But from such pro-
found degradation of ideas we turn away with
gratitude and humility, that one so unworthy
as we should have been reared to better things.
We are also affected with sense of regret
for duty unperformed, for great as has been
the benefits received we have never yet cele-
brated as we ought the merits Of apple pie
That reflection shall not longer cast its reflec-
ton upon us.
"Henry, go down cellar, and bring me up
some Spitzenbergs." The cellar was as large
as the whole house, and the house was broad
as small pyramid. The north side was win
dowless, and banked up outside with frost-de-
defying tan-bark. The south side had windows,
festooned and frescoed with spiders webs that
wove their tapestries over every corner in the
neighborhood, and when no flies were to be
had, ate up each other, as if they were nothing
but politicians instead of being lawful and hon
orable ardchnid9. On the east side stood a
row of cider barrels for twelve or twenty bar
rels were fit provision for year-and what
was not consumed for drink was expected duly
to turn into venegar, and was when exalted in
to certain hogsheads for the purpose. But
along the middle of the cellar were the APP
pie bins, and when the season had been
propitious, there were stores and heaps of
Russets, Greetings, Seeknofurthers, Pearmains,
Gillifowers, Spitzenbergs, and many besides,
we duly brought up the apples Some people
think anything will do for pies, but the best
for eating are the best for cooking. Who
would make jelly OF any other apple that had
the Porter? Who would bake or roast any
other apple that had the Ladies' Sweeting, I'M
less, perhaps the Talman Sweet? And who
would put into pie any apple but Spitzenberg
that had that of with their jackets! Fill
the great wooden bowl with the sound rogues
And now, o cook, what shall it be? For at
this point the roads diyerge, and though they
all come back at length to apple pie, it is not
matter of indifference which you choose
There is for example, one made without bot
tom paste, in deep plate and the apples laid
in in full quarters or, the apples being stewed,
are beaten in a mush, and seasoned and put
between the double paste: or they are sliced
thin and cooked entirely within the covers or
they are put without seasoning into their bed,
and when baked, the upper crust is raised, and
the butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar are
added the whole well mixed, and the crust re-
TURNED as if nothing had happened.
But, oh, be careful of the paste! Let it not
be like putty, nor rush to the other extreme,
and make il so tiaky that one holds his breath
while eating, for fear of blowing it all away
Let it not be plain as bread, nor yet rich like
cake. Aim at that glorious medium in which
it is tender without being too short a mild,
sapid brittle thing, that lies upon the tongue so
as to let the apple strike through and touch
the papiillG with more effluent flavor. But
this, like all high arts, must be thing of in
spiration or instinct. A true cook will under
stand me, and care not if others do not
Do not suppose we limit the apple pie to the
kinds and methods enumerated. Its capacity
in variation is endless, and every diversity dis
covers some new charm or flavor. 1t will ac-
cept almost every flavor of every spice. And
yet, nothing is so fatal to the rare and higher
graces of apple pie as inconsderate vulgar spi-
cling. 1t is not meant to be a mere vehicle for
the exhibition of those spices, in their own ma
lures. 1t is a glorious unity in which sugar
gives up its nature as sugar, and butter ceases
to be butter, and each havorsome spice gladly
evanishes from its own full nature, that all of
them, by common death, may rise into the new
life of apple pie! 1t, to, is transformed. And
the final pie, though born of apple, sugar, but
ter, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon,is like none of
these, but the compound ideal of them all re-
fined, purified, and by fire fixed in blissful per-
lection.
But all exquisite creations are short-lived.-
The natural term of an apple pie is but twelve
hours 1t reaches its highest state about one
hour after it comes from the oven, and just be-
fore its natural heat has quite departed. But
every hour after it is one day old, it is thence
forward but the CHASTITY CORDS of an apple pie