Apple Schnitz Pie Recipe, Amish Pie

Ingredients

1. Dried Tart Apples are the star ingredient, providing the fruity, tart flavor characteristic of schnitz pie.
2. Warm Water is used to rehydrate the dried tart apples, allowing them to plump up and soften.
3. Sugar adds sweetness to the pie filling.
4. Cloves are a warm and aromatic spice that adds depth and complexity. In small amounts, cloves complement the fruity flavors of the apples and enhance the overall spiciness of the pie.
5. Cinnamon is a classic spice often paired with apples in desserts. It adds a warm, sweet, and slightly spicy flavor that perfectly complements the tartness of the apples. Cinnamon also contributes to the comforting aroma of the pie as it bakes.
6. Pastry for 2 (9 inches) Pie Crusts serve as the base and top crust of the pie, providing a flaky, buttery enclosure for the delicious apple filling. It adds richness and texture to the dessert, creating a satisfying contrast to the soft, cooked apples. The crust also helps hold the pie together and provides a beautiful presentation.

How to Make Apple Schnitz

I love dried apples, and sometimes you can find them in a big bag at bulk food stores. But around here it is hard to find dried apples in bulk. So I made my own dried apples to make this Apple Schnitz pie recipe.

You will need a food dehydrator unless you have figured out how to freeze dry apples. I have not tried freeze-drying yet. I use a dehydrator I found years ago at a garage sale.

It's very easy to make dried apples, and my kids practically fight over them.

Peel, core, and thinly slice your apples. I never measure my slices, but I think they are probably around ¼" thick. Then dip the slices in lemon water (add approximately ¼ cup of lemon juice to about 2 or 3 quarts of water). Pour the apple slices into a strainer and drain.

Arrange the slices, in a single layer, on your dehydrator racks. It takes several hours to dehydrate them. And exactly how long it takes to dry the apples will depend on your drier.

But drying food is a great way to preserve it for a long time.

How to Make Snitz Pie

To make this Apple Schnitz pie (or Apple Snitz Pie, however you want to spell it), soak the dried apples in the water for several hours. I soaked mine overnight.

Then cook the soaked apples in the same water until softened. I cooked mine for approximately twenty-five minutes on medium heat. Stir them occasionally, and if the pan is getting dry, add a bit more water.

The recipe I was following says to rub the soft apples through a colander. And I am guessing that the Amish probably do it like that if they don't have electrical appliances.

But I mashed mine in my Ninja chopper until it was a smooth consistency. Add sugar and spices and pour the filling into an unbaked pastry shell.

Before you place your top crust on, get a cup of cold water and dip your fingers into the water. Run your wet fingers around the top edge of the bottom crust. You just want the rim a little moistened so that the top crust sticks better to the bottom, creating a good seal.

Poke a few holes (or cut a fancy design) into your top crust. Place it on the top and lightly press the edges together to seal the pie. Cut off any overhang and crimp the edges.

Bake your Amish Schnitz pies in the bottom half of the oven (Not on the very bottom, position your rack just below the middle) for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 30 - 35 minutes.

Store in the refrigerator for up to four or five days.

Apple Schnitz Recipe for Church Dinner

When I was a little girl, growing up in the Amish church, we had Schnitz pie with almost every church meal, which was every other Sunday.

Our traditional church meal consisted of homemade bread, buns, Amish peanut butter, lunch meat, cheese slices or cheese spread, pickles, and this Apple Schnitz pie or traditional apple pies.

On the Saturday morning before hosting church at our house, the ladies got up early to bake enough Schnitz pies to feed close to two hundred people. I don't remember exactly, but I think we used to bake twenty to thirty Amish pies.

That's a lot of work, and we didn't want to bake them too far ahead. So that Saturday was always a very busy day with baking, cleaning, and getting all the last-minute work done to get ready for church at our house.

In later years, we more often had cookies instead of pie. I guess cookies were probably easier to make and could be made ahead of time.

PA Dutch Schnitz Pie

This is an old-time classic Pennsylvania Dutch pie recipe. I honestly don't know if the Amish in other communities eat Apple Schnitz pie with their church dinner.

In some communities, the ladies make fry pies with apple schnitz filling.

But this is a very common pie in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. And if you ever find yourself visiting that area, look for an Amish bakery and try their Schnitz pie, and also their Shoofly pie. These are two unique and delicious Amish pies.

Pie Crust

You can use store-bought crust to make this pie or make homemade pie crusts with my recipe for easy flaky crusts. This recipe makes enough filling to fill a nine-inch pie crust. Although, pie plates are not always standard-sized. Make sure your crust is no bigger than 9 inches and don't use deep dish crust.

I love this Schnitz pie recipe, and it brings back childhood memories of eating church dinner. I'm hoping you enjoy Amish Apple Schnitz Pie made with dried apples as well. If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Thank you!

More Amish Pie Recipes

• Chocolate Shoofly Pie
• Dutch Apple Pie Recipe with crumb topping
• Blueberry Pie
• Sour Cream Rhubarb Pie with crumb topping
• Peach Crumb Pie
• Rice Krispie Ice Cream Pie
• Custard Pie