With the arrival of autumn and American Thanksgiving around the corner, it's the best time of the year to enjoy apple pie
After feasting on an abundance of colourful fruit desserts during the spring and summer, we're ready for autumn. It's when the harvest of apples are at their best and, apart from eating them fresh, there is no better way to enjoy them than in a pie and served as dessert. And with American Thanksgiving coming up at the end of November, our thoughts immediately turn to apple pie. Apple pies are a real classic, though often overlooked for its simplicity and often bastardised—we’re talking about apple-flavoured pop-tarts, pre-packaged frozen pies, or fast food ‘apple pies’ (which are, in fact, deep-fried turnovers. The true apple pie should have a bottom crust to hold the filling and a top crust, or a lattice-top made of crisscrossing pastry strips). The perfect apple filling should be sweet with a touch of tartness and have the consistency of a thick fruit compote. Spices are optional, but a pinch of cinnamon can often give apples a lift with a sweeter finish.
While there has always been a strong fan base for basic breads and pastries, pies in general, particularly fruit pies, haven’t been popularised in the way that savoury quiches and sweet fruit tarts have. In honour of the great versatile fruit dessert, here are our picks for Hong Kong’s best apple pies.
See Also: 5 New Must-Try Pastries At Bakehouse's Soho Branch
Butter Cake Shop
What: Created by Karys Logue, executive pastry chef at Black Sheep Restaurants, the classic American apple pie sold by Butter Cake Shop is beautifully crafted with a perfect lattice top. The crust is buttery and rich, with a filling made with smaller Gala apples. The fruits are peeled and pre-cooked slightly with brown sugar, lemon juice and a pinch of cinnamon. The filling melts into a hearty stew of apples underneath a golden crust. Extra salted caramel is piped through the lattice top into the pie for a richer finish.
Price: The nine-inch pie is priced at HK$388 each.
Where: All pie orders can be placed on Black Sheep Restaurants Go app.
See Also: The Last Resort, A Dive Bar By Chef Jowett Yu, Will Open This Autumn