Zucchini Mock Apple Pie
This recipe is a favorite because no one can believe it is made from zucchini. It is fun when people think it is apple pie and then you tell them it is zucchini. When they taste it, they want the recipe. It almost tastes better than apple pie; in fact, I like it better.
This recipe is a favorite because no one can believe it is made from zucchini. It is fun when people think it is apple pie and then you tell them it is zucchini. When they taste it, they want the recipe. It almost tastes better than apple pie; in fact, I like it better.
- Carbohydrate 61.5531013541666 g
- Cholesterol 3.81625 mg
- Fat 9.4169175 g
- Fiber 2.03188126779022 g
- Protein 2.6959525 g
- Saturated Fat 2.89327075 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Slice (166g)
- Sodium 149.602723958328 mg
- Sugar 59.5212200863763 g
- Trans Fat 0.53583925 g
- Calories 331 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
- Cook zucchini slices in boiling water until barely tender, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from stove and drain well (see Tips, below).
- In a bowl, toss zucchini with sugars, cinnamon, cream of tartar, cornstarch, and salt until well coated.
- Place pastry in a 9-inch, greased pie pan.
- Fill with zucchini mix.
- Dot with butter, drizzle with vinegar.
- Top with crust.
- Bake for 12 minutes at 475.
- Reduce heat to 350 and bake about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Peeling, seeding, and blanching zucchini for exactly two minutes transforms a summer squash into a convincing fruit pie filling. Water is the primary obstacle when substituting vegetables for fruit in baked goods. Boiling the quarter-inch slices briefly removes raw cell walls without making them mushy, but proper draining remains mandatory. Pressing the cooked squash in a colander until completely cool prevents excess moisture from dissolving the cornstarch thickener and creating a watery bottom crust.
Acid mimics the tartness missing from neutral-tasting squash. Adding one teaspoon of vinegar cuts through the heavy sweetness of the combined granulated and brown sugars, replicating the malic acid found in traditional baking apples. Baking requires an initial blast of high heat at 475 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes to set the pastry before dropping the dial to 350 degrees for an hour and fifteen minutes to thoroughly cook the interior starches.
Slices stored overnight in the refrigerator develop a firmer gel structure as the starches fully set, making second-day portions cleaner to slice than hot pie.
