The Queen of Apple Pie
by Jennifer Parsons
Nancy Parsons found a recipe for apple pie when reading her morning newspaper in 1973. She often cut recipes from the local paper and popped them in a shoebox to try later, but this recipe was different. In her kitchen Nancy carefully followed the recipe instructions, completely unaware of the family treasure she was creating for the first time. She served a slice of her pie after dinner with a hot cup of coffee and her devoted husband, Bob, loved it. A lot. The new recipe called for extra cinnamon in the apple filling, and cinnamon was the key to her husband's heart. He requested that apple pie for his birthday from that day on. The day Nancy became the apple pie queen.
As the years rolled along Nancy no longer needed to dig the newspaper clipping from her shoebox. The recipe had become her own as she adjusted and improved until perfect. Only Macintosh apples would do, though Cortland could be substituted in a pinch. Good fresh cinnamon was a must. Nancy found favorite ingredient brands, perfected crust rolling techniques, and spent hours and hours of her life slicing apples to the perfect size. She kindly copied her recipe for anyone that asked for it...and everyone asked her for it.
Her children began asking for apple pie to celebrate their birthdays. The apple pie queen baked for holiday parties, family picnics, OSU football games, and any time she wished to thank someone for a kindness shown to her and Bob. Eventually her many grandchildren all asked for the gift of pie, and then the great grandchildren turned to Nancy for their favorite birthday treat.
Nancy just kept baking. Apple pie for everyone! She never tired of the process and often commented that she was blessed to be able to make something loved for the people she loved most.
Many have attempted to make Nancy's pie using the recipe she so freely gifted. It was impossible. The attempts ranged from truly terrible to not-quite-right. Nancy's granddaughter, Leah, took a notebook and serious determination to her grandmother's kitchen one day. Some people were convinced the apple pie queen had a secret ingredient not included in the copied recipe. On that day, Leah discovered what it was.
Nancy led Leah step-by-step through her process. Together they sliced apples, rolled crusts, and mixed spices. Leah learned how pie dough feels when just enough water is added. Nancy told her what to do if her apples were too dry or extra juicy, if the weather forecast called for rain, if her dough refused to roll flat. Leah learned how to pinpoint the exact moment the pie was finished baking, how to create a perfectly sugared golden top crust, and how long to let the pie rest before slicing. At the end of their magical afternoon Leah had pages of her notebook filled and an understanding of her grandma's secret ingredient.
You see, it did not matter that Nancy had made hundreds of apple pies for over 50 years, she never rushed through it. She gently created each pie with a loving heart for her family. Every single time.
The family lost the apple pie queen several years ago, but her legacy lives on. The crown has passed to her granddaughter who gently bakes pies with her whole heart on each birthday and family gathering. She made Nancy very proud. Leah has since grown into an amazing baker, expanding her expertise to a variety of fruits, like pear with raspberry, huckleberry, grape, and mountain blueberry, among other favorites. Yet, apple remains the family favorite.
If Leah had not made time to learn in person and hands-on, Nancy's pie may have become no more than a sweet memory. It is important to make time to learn from our beloved elders. Hear their stories, watch their hands work, ask good questions. Continue the old traditions and make the recipes. Do not allow important skills become lost memories, carry them forward with the gentle love of the apple pie queen. Long live the queen.
