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Lucretia's Apple Pie

October 9, 2015
Lucretia's Apple Pie
Lucretia's Apple Pie

That is quite a name . Who is Lucretia? Why make her pie ?

Well the answer to all these questions is that she was my mother in law, Lou Dye. I asked her what the circumstances were of her receiving such an exotic name . She told me her mother had been reading a novel in a small West Virginian town right before she was born and her mother just found the name beautiful . It actually really suited Lou who passed away a few years ago, for she always yearned for the exotic in her travels around the world, her expertise raising and showing an exotic breed of dog called a basenji and her great joy  and appreciation of the culinary arts.

She was meticulous and artistic in all that she pursued. At an early Christmas at her home I was in awe of the egg ornaments that embellished one tree. She told me how she and her mother hand cut the opening in the front of each egg , then built piece by piece a miniature holiday themed dioroma in each one. West Virginia style Faberge… They were beautiful .

As I got to know her better and better, I began to see this exquisite  attention to detail brought to life in the pies that graced our holiday tables. Her apple pie was like no other. It was balanced to perfection with fruit, spices and sugar. The double crust was not just holding in the apples but of equal importance to the filling.“Could Lucretia please bring her apple pie to Thanksgiving and  Christmas dinner ?” would become a frequent holiday request.

For years I had my own recipe that I held dear, but soon found myself just as taken by her pie baking prowess. Yes …… I did persuade her to give me the recipe so that I could share it with all of you. After her baking days had come to a close, she took great pride in bringing friends to The Bonbonerie the month we featured Lucretia’s  Apple Pie. It made it possible for her to still share her pie with friends and family.