Apple Pan Dowdy comes to the table with no pretensions or fussy expectations. It’s an apple pie with a gooier messier presentation. Here the top crust is half-submerged in the filling for a crust that’s both crunchy and sauced with a thick, caramel-like filling coating.
Dowdy is a term we don’t often hear. It means ruffled up or unkempt. With this recipe, Apple Pan Dowdy, the top pie crust is “dowdied” and messed up by breaking it up into pieces. It was a dessert seen more in the 1800s and 1900s and disappeared amongst the slew of crisps, pies, and cobblers, but it shouldn’t be lost to history!
First, the pie crusts are prepared, one added to the bottom of the baking dish. The seasoned apples are piled into the dish, followed by the baking liquid, a mixture of water, maple syrup, and butter.
The second pie crust is laid on top and crimped to the bottom crust, essentially making a pie casserole. After the Apple Pan Dowdy is baked, you cut up the top crust and filling underneath with a knife.
Then a spoon is used to press the top pie pieces into the saucy filling below.
A bit of rest time is needed; this will thicken up the juices and prevent the liquid from oozing out.
Served with a bit of whipped cream, this Apple Pan Dowdy is the perfect apple dessert you’ve yet to try!
It’s apple pie at its most comforting and casual form.
The filling mixes with the top crust, creating a saucy but crunchy mix that somehow tastes better mixed than prettily separated into isolated slices.
