It’s been fun watching videos of Europeans discovering America during the World Cup.
They’ll come here expecting one thing and end up surprised by something completely different—the wide-open spaces, oversized everything, free refills, Buc-ee’s, ranch dressing, friendly strangers, and yes… our food. 😊
This whole Americana theme, along with the 4th of July just around the corner, got me thinking about some of those simple things that feel uniquely American.
Things like backyard cookouts, baseball games, 4th of July parades, fireworks… and apple pie. 🇺🇸⚾🎆🥧
That reminded me of a little recipe from my teaching days that feels worth passing along.
One day, while a group of fellow teachers and I were having lunch, one of my friends said, “I’ve got the easiest apple pie recipe.”
Naturally, I grabbed a pen and paper.
She said, “Put that away. You don’t need it.”
Then she gave us the recipe, and it went something like this:
Start with a pie crust. Layer it with apples, sugar, cinnamon, flour for thickening, and pats of butter. Then do it again. And again. Keep stacking it as high as you can while still getting the top crust to fit.
She emphasized stacking it as high as you can because the apples cook down as they bake.
Then she added the part I remember most:
“If you think you’ve added too much butter… add more.”
😂
No exact amounts. Just the ingredients and the clear impression that the measurements were more like personal preferences than rules.
So I went home determined to make this pie.
I’d never made an apple pie before.
I followed her instructions—even though I didn’t have a single precise measurement. 😄
I piled those apples so high it looked ridiculous. It wasn’t a pie anymore—it was a mountain with a crust on top.
And that was the point.
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Little recipe note: One thing that’s hard to capture in a written recipe is just how high to stack the apples. If you’re curious, I included an old video below where you can actually see how ridiculously high I pile them. 🍎 It also includes a few little details I didn’t mention here, like brushing the crust with milk before sprinkling sugar on top.
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Then came the tricky part: somehow I got the top crust stretched over the whole thing, cut a few slits in the top, sprinkled it with sugar, and put it in the oven.
About halfway through baking, I realized I’d forgotten to put a pan underneath it.
Butter was bubbling out the sides and dripping all over the bottom of my oven.
But the pie?
Absolutely amazing.
The next day, I told my students the story.
They loved it.
Of course, I’m guessing it wasn’t the story they loved as much as the time it took away from science to tell it. 🤭
And that pie became my apple pie recipe from that day forward.
So in honor of the upcoming 4th of July, I thought I’d share it.
Because sometimes the sweetest traditions start simply:
one friend sharing a recipe,
one homemade pie,
and a table full of people to share it with.
🇺🇸✨
If you’re a free spirit in the kitchen, feel free to improvise.
But if you like a little more guidance, here’s the closest thing I have to an actual recipe:
All-American Apple Pie
• 2 pie crusts
• 10–12 apples, peeled and sliced
• 1 heaping cup sugar
• Cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons flour for thickening
• 1 stick butter, cut into pats
Layer everything in the crust.
Then layer it again.
And again.
Pile it as high as you can.
Top with the second crust, cut a few slits, brush with milk, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 375° for about 70 minutes.
And don’t forget to put a pan underneath it.
Trust me on that one. 😉
I’m sharing this a little early in case you want to plan ahead for the 4th.
🇺🇸✨ Wishing you a sweet and wonderful 4th of July.
You can watch the video here to get an idea of just how high to pile the apples. 👇
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