Have you ever been mid-story, and as you are speaking, the whole thing sounds so implausible that you begin to doubt that it ever occurred? This happened to me yesterday when I was telling two colleagues about the existence of a Mock Apple Pie in which the filling consists of Ritz crackers. As a dual-citizen, I have a good line in tales of “funny American customs”, but this threatened to veer into the realm of fantasy. Could there really have been such a recipe? Enter the ever-useful Internet with the answer: yes. I hasten to add that I only remember *reading* this recipe – this starch-meet-starch concoction never darkened our door. My mother made only lovely pies that contained actual fruit. Clearly just seeing the description was enough to etch it in my memory though.
photo of Ritz cracker by flickr user Velo Steve
Kimberley Heath said,
September 12, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I also recall the fascination and slight revulsion when I first read that recipe on the Ritz box!
Donna Conrad said,
November 5, 2008 at 1:43 pm
This is indeed a real recipe! I remember my Mother telling me that it was a recipe that became popular during the rationing of WWII.
Deena said,
November 27, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I yielded to temptation when I saw this recipe, as a grad student in the 70s, and MADE it. And I want you to know it tasted EXACTLY like real apple pie. It was absolutely weird.