I’m on a pie-making jag. The abundance of late-summer fruit and fall apples, coupled with an instinct that — as the days grow shorter — draws me into the kitchen to bake up a storm. I indulged my jones by purchasing a new pie plate, a new silicone rolling pin, and a new pastry-making mat and then hit a neighborhood farm stand to select my fruit-of-the-week. That was the fun part.

When I got home with my new baking equipment, I was immediately disappointed that my jazzy new rolling pin with the contoured handles, nonstick silicone surface, and stainless steel ball bearings "counterbalanced for smooth rolling" collects more patches of pie dough than my cheap, old plastic rolling pin that I’d just discarded. But the bigger source of frustration was my new non-stick silicone mat that is touted as the "perfect countertop work station" for kneading and rolling out dough. In years of pie-baking, I’ve never had a round of pie crust dough stick to the work surface like it sticks to my new non-stick mat.

Okay, so I’m doing something wrong with these two culinary
techno-miracles, but I’m not defeated yet and will keep a-baking until
I get it right. Suggestions, anyone?

In the meantime, here’s a recipe for a traditional apple pie.

Crust:
You’re on your own. See above.

Filling:
6-8 Cortland apples grown in Maine, peeled, cored and sliced. Cortlands are tart and firm, good for baking.
3/4 cup sugar, or 1 cup pure Maine maple syrup
2 Tablespoons tapioca, or 2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients and mix to coat. Place in a pastry-lined pie
plate. Top with remaining pastry. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45-50
minutes until golden brown.

Merrill Williams is the publisher of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.