…together we make upwards of 70 pies with which we stock our freezers for the upcoming year
By: Pat Tanner
Ten years ago in this space I reported on a culinary tradition I had been part of for several years: the annual apple pie-making day at the home of my friends Betty and Bob Stoloff of Kendall Park.
Each autumn they gather together a group of five or six families the makeup of which has remained remarkably unchanged and in one whirlwind afternoon, together we make upwards of 70 pies with which we stock our freezers for the upcoming year, much like the industrious ant in the fable. This year marked the 25th anniversary a quarter century of Apple Pie Day.
The pies, which are based on a recipe of Bob Stoloff’s mother, Ethel, come in two forms: traditional double-crust or nut-crumb topping. The filling is always the same basic but delicious concoction. These pies have become staples of all the families’ holiday tables, beginning with Thanksgiving and going through Hanukah, Christmas and beyond, and over the years have become the perfect, much anticipated hostess gift.
As Irene Lieberman of Somerville, a 25-year veteran, says, "It’s always nice to have something homemade to bring." She admits sheepishly that when people comment on how good the pie is, she sometimes tells the story of how it is the result of a group effort, but that "other times I take all the credit."
Bob Stoloff is the commander-in-chief of the project, buying the apples this year he purchased five bushels of Stayman winesaps from Maple Tree Farm Market in North Brunswick and making the pastry dough and the crumb topping mixture a day in advance. On apple day, he rarely moves from behind the kitchen’s center island, where he rolls out dough and barks commands such as, "I need more people to top pies!"
Betty Stoloff is in charge of keeping things moving, roaming among the stations where various teams peel and core apples, roll out dough, prepare the filling and pile it high into the pastry shells, and apply patches of sweet, buttery crumb topping. At the end of the afternoon, every horizontal surface of the Stoloff kitchen is sticky, and most of us sport bits of dough or apple peelings in our hair.
The number of pies are totaled, the expense divvied, and cars loaded up for the cinnamon-scented ride home. This year, the total was 64 pies, falling two short of the all-time record.
When the tradition began, none of the couples had children, although several were on the way. Sarah, the Stoloff’s older daughter, notes, "I missed the first one because I wasn’t born yet, and the only other time was my first year in college." Last year was the first time Sarah took pies to her own place. This year the Stoloff’s younger daughter, Rebecca, a senior at the University of Michigan, called in during the festivities.
Irene Lieberman says that what she enjoys most about apple pie day "is the excitement of watching the kids grow up and catching up once a year with the families." Once babies came onto the scene, she recalls, "childcare became part of apple day. We would take turns watching the children."
Betty Stoloff continues, "Then the little ones started to ‘help’ and production dropped way down for a few years. After that, they really did help, so production skyrocketed."
Others in the group continue the progression: As the children became involved in outside activities such as soccer and ballet, production nose-dived because parents had to leave early or come late to drive them. "Once they could drive themselves," Betty Stoloff finishes, "production went up again."
Suzanne Lehrer is one of those children who grew up coming to apple pie day, tagging along with her parents Phyllis and Paul, who live in Kendall Park. For the past two years she has brought along her husband, Jonathan LeBouef, who is now a seasoned veteran. With most of the apple day kids in their twenties, it is only a matter of time before a new generation of babies will renew the cycle.
Below is Bob Stoloff’s time-tested recipe for apple pie. His preferred method for cutting fat into dry ingredients, such as the butter and Crisco, is using two knives at first, followed by his hands.
I am delighted that in recent times I have contributed my own touch to the traditional recipe: the egg wash and sprinkling of sugar onto the double-crust pie right before it goes into the oven. This results in a shiny, golden crust.
BOB STOLOFF’S APPLE PIE
Important note on quantities: The pastry recipe yields 5 single crusts for 9-inch pies; the apple filling recipe yields 1 pie; and the crumb topping recipe yields enough to top approximately 8 single-crust pies. Quantities may be increased or decreased in proportion.
PASTRY FOR CRUSTS
4 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1¾ cups shortening, such as Crisco
1 egg
¼ cup cold water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut the shortening into the mixture, using your fingers, a pastry blender, or two knives. Mix together the egg, water and vinegar in a small bowl and cut it into the flour mixture, first using an implement and then finishing with your hands until it forms a smooth dough.
Divide the dough into 5 balls and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
APPLE FILLING
5 cups apples, such as Stayman winesap, peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges nomore than 1/2-inch thick
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup sugar
Dash nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
CRUMB TOPPING
6 cups flour
4 cups sugar
2 cups finely chopped pecans, walnuts or other nuts
1½ pounds unsalted butter (6 sticks), cut into small pieces
Combine the flour, sugar, and nuts in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture, using your fingers, a pastry blender, or two knives, until the mixture is almost but not quite the consistency of dough.
ASSEMBLY FOR ONE PIE:
- Roll out 1 ball of dough and fit it in a 9-inch pie pan. Prick all over with a fork and par-bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Fill par-baked crust with apple filling and dot with bits of butter. Top with either another round of dough or with patches of crumb topping dough, which have been flattened between the palms of your hands. In both cases, cover filling completely. For double crust pies, crimp and seal edges and cut decorative slits in the top using a sharp paring knife.
- Double-wrap the pies in aluminum foil for freezing, or proceed to baking.
FINAL BAKING:
To bake from a frozen state: Place unwrapped pie on a baking sheet. If using a double-crust pie, make an egg wash made from 1 egg combined with 1 teaspoon of water and brush over top crust. Sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar.
Place pie in an unheated oven. Set dial to 400 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for about a total of 1 hour after the oven reaches 400 degrees, or when the sugar is bubbling and brown.
Pat Tanner can be heard each Saturday morning on "Dining Today with Pat Tanner" on MoneyTalk AM 1350 and over www.moneytalk1350.com from 9 to 10 a.m.

