A Slice Of Nostalgia

There is nothing that awakens the senses more than the smell of apple pie baking in the oven. It's aromatherapy at its best. We've all had the experience where a particular smell has brought us back to a time and place of memory and the smell of apple pie baking transports me back to when I worked in a small town bake shop. Although famous for their raisin pumpernickel bread, marble cake rings and fancy butter cookies, it was their apple pie that always made me weak in the knees.

As you can imagine, holidays at the bakery were always extremely busy, crazy times. Yet each year at Thanksgiving, when customers were lined up out the door waiting to purchase their holiday goodies, my boss would use one of the ovens to cook the staff a complete thanksgiving dinner - turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, veggies, rolls and ... apple pie. Unfortunately we had to eat it while running back and forth into the back of the shop taking bites in between waiting on customers. But it was well worth it.

By the time the mad rush was over up front, the apple pies had cooled down enough to be eaten and we could actually take a seat on an upside down milk crate to enjoy it ... and enjoy it I did. The filling was warm and silky, perfectly seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg and just a hint of lemon juice. The crust was browned to perfection, flaky and tender - pure heaven.

I have baked alot of apple pies since those days and have yet to come close to the taste of that bakery pie. Perhaps it's just because it's not being thoughtfully served to me after having been awake since dawn or that my feet aren't throbbing as much after eight hours of running around on them.

What I can say about my apple pie is the aroma that fills my kitchen is as wonderful and comforting as that bakery pie, and each time I bake one I am reminded of the years of special times I spent there with good friends. The memories are the experience. Eating the pie is just the bonus.