Apple Pie Pastries

Thanksgiving. Ten people at Karen and David's house. It was the largest gathering the house had seen since Stephanie's college graduation, David remarked at some point. Karen beamed through it. She ate slowly. She needed help cutting. She laughed more than I have seen her laugh in a year.

I cooked the turkey at the condo Wednesday afternoon and brought it over Thursday morning. The stuffing too, and the gravy. Ming had brought Taiwanese sticky rice by FedEx the week before; she steamed it in Karen's kitchen. Kevin and Lisa brought a wild rice dish Lisa had been perfecting. James made his scallion pancakes and a Taiwanese pork belly braise. Karen made her pies — both apple and pecan this year, despite her hands — with help from Rosa and David. David was, I noticed, visibly proud that he had contributed real cooking.

Jisoo FaceTimed at the American 3 PM, which was Friday morning in Busan. She waved. Karen waved. Ming saw her on the screen for the first time and said, "Oh. Jisoo. You are beautiful." Jisoo blushed through the laptop. Ming and Jisoo had not spoken before. They could not speak now, without a translator. But they smiled at each other for a long moment. Ming said, "Your daughter is very special." Jisoo said, in her best English, "Your son is kind." Ming turned to James — he was next to me — and said, "You see? I am approved internationally."

The meal was long. Three hours at the table. Conversations ran in three directions. Lisa and Ming talked about Taiwanese baking. Kevin and Wei talked about Boeing (Kevin has the same trick David has for talking to engineers — listen carefully and ask follow-up questions). David and Ming talked about retirement. I sat back for a while and watched my people be themselves. I did not speak much. I was just grateful to be there.

After dinner, Karen asked to talk to me in the kitchen while everyone was in the living room. She said, "Stephanie. I want to tell you something." I said, "Okay." She said, "Your father and I are going to make a plan this winter for our transition to the facility. Not because I'm worse. Because I want to choose while I still can choose. I want to tell the facility we're interested. I want to put down a deposit. I want to have it ready, so when the day comes, there is no scramble." I nodded. I did not cry. I had prepared for this for months. I said, "I will help you." Karen said, "I know. I just wanted to tell you, here, in my kitchen, before we start. I wanted my kitchen to witness it."

We hugged. We went back to the dining room. I ate a second piece of pie.

Banchan Labs update: the waitlist is at 1,634. The first launch box is scheduled for January 15, 2023. I have identified a small kitchen-rental space in SoDo that I will use for the first six months. The lease starts January 1. I am hiring two part-time packers who can come in twice a week. The ingredients are sourced. The recipe cards are printed in draft. The boxes are ordered. It is actually happening.

The recipe this week is Karen's pecan pie, which she taught me to make this Wednesday while David measured. Corn syrup. Brown sugar. Butter. Vanilla. Eggs. Pecans. Pie crust. Forty minutes at 350. Cool for four hours. Slice with a very sharp knife. Eat with black coffee. Karen's hands shaped the crust with my help. I will remember this pie. I will make it every year forever, for as long as my hands work.

Karen made two pies this year—apple and pecan—despite her hands, with David measuring beside her and Rosa nearby just in case. I stood at the counter with her Wednesday afternoon and watched her shape the crust the way she always has, unhurried, certain. These apple pie pastries are the version I make when I want to carry that same feeling into a smaller moment: the flaky edges, the warm spiced filling, the sense that something simple can still hold a great deal. Karen’s kitchen witnessed something important this Thanksgiving. I want to keep baking in that spirit.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 sheets refrigerated pie crust (or homemade, rolled to 1/8-inch thickness)
3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
1 tablespoon coarse sugar (for topping)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine diced apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and vanilla extract. Stir until the apples are evenly coated. Set aside for 5 minutes to let the juices begin to release.
Cut the pastry. Unroll pie crust sheets onto a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut each sheet into 4 equal rectangles, giving you 8 pieces total.
Fill and fold. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of apple filling onto one half of each pastry rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Dot the filling with a few small pieces of butter. Fold the unfilled half of the pastry over the filling to form a smaller rectangle. Press the edges firmly with a fork to seal.
Egg wash and score. Transfer sealed pastries to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with beaten egg. Use a sharp knife to cut 2–3 small slits in the top of each pastry to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake. Bake for 22–26 minutes, until the pastries are deep golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling slightly through the slits. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even browning.
Cool and serve. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before serving. They are best eaten the day they are made, warm or at room temperature, with black coffee or a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Apple Pie Pastries — What Karen’s Kitchen Taught Me to Hold Onto