Snitz Pie: The Amish Church Meal Treat
Note: I wrote this way back in 2007 while living for a summer in the Lancaster County Amish community. Snitz pie was a wonderful discovery I made towards the end of my time there. If you’ve never had it, I highly recommend trying it.
It’s mainly seen in the Lancaster County Amish (and related churches). It used to mostly only be made by the Amish for church. But nowadays you see it for purchase in some shops. I’ve added a snitz pie recipe at the end.
The last family I sat down with while selling books here in Lancaster County on Saturday evening made sure I left with a special treat – a slice of snitz pie. It was a delicious, thick-crusted wedge of apple-buttery goodness and I devoured it at once. About ten times better than what I’ve been eating lately anyway!
“Sylvan” and “Rebecca” had church today at their home, and so all day yesterday and during the previous days they spent time weed-whacking, scrubbing, and generally readying the home for a huge influx of guests.
Sylvan mentioned that they have a pretty large church district and so were expecting at least a couple hundred people. Snitz pie, which Rebecca said is made from dried apples, is one of the things they Amish eat at the Sunday meal, after service.
Here’s a recipe I found, which I cannot say is exactly what Sylvan and Rebecca gave me, but maybe worth a try – if it turns out half as good it’ll still be delicious.
Snitz Pie Recipe
- 1 qt. dried apple slices
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 3 drops lemon extract
- Double Pie Crust
- Cover dried apples with water and soak overnight. Next day cook apples with water they were soaked in until soft, over low heat.
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Put apples through a ricer along with the juice they were cooked in. Add sugar, salt, cinnamon and lemon extract. Put in unbaked pie crust and add top crust.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until done.
If you enjoyed this, check out my list of five favorite Amish foods (Snitz pie is on it!)
Yum. I’m envious. There is nothing better than a homemade pie – Snitz, Shoofly, or any kind….sounds like you hit the culinary jackpot!
Thanks, Kevin. I imagine Lovina knows all about snitz pie. It’s my new number one by far.
One of the fond memories of my child hood was the “half moon pies” made with dried apples. I want to try to make them like my mother always did, especially for food stands at public auctions.
Just love Snitz pie and so easy to make. We buy bags of dried apples when we are in Bird-in-Hand,PA 2-3 times a year so I can make one whenever I want. We like them better than regular apple pie.
Erik, did this recipe come from “The Amish Cook” or “The Amish Cook Anniversary Book”? I have both here and will have to go look to see. I have read them both from cover to cover but can’t remember what recipes are in them off the top of my head. Love all the stories in them. 🙂
How do u dry apples?
Dried apples
My favorite pocket snack. Dried apple slices. Good 4 pie too.
Peel, core slice, dip in lemon juice if you want them to stay white, & place between two layers of old window screen & out in sunshine till they feel leathery. Seal up tightly & they seem to keep forever. I’ve never thrown any out. Dry them in a kitchen oven if it can be kept 110 degrees or so. To do a lot, a peel and core machine is super handy.
Dried Apples
My grandmother and I would slice them and put them on white sheets or an old screen door and lay on top of old car or on the well house. If she used sheets we woukd pick out a real sunny part of the yard or behind house or next to garden and sometimes the boys would help make temporary post to tie four corners of sheet to and let the sun do the rest. Me and Grandma would come back around noon and check the apples. When it got close to dark we would come get them and bring them in house put in back room until morning and then take them right back out until they were dried and wrinkled. Then we would put them in jars and screw lids on. She would always date them and put the kind of apples they were.