Apples are an important part of Appalachian cooking, and the sweets made from them are an important part of Dollywood. In fact, the Tennessee theme park—widely known for its surprisingly excellent food—serves an apple pie you can’t get anywhere else.
It weighs 25 pounds.
Made with 35 apples and priced at $189.99, the pie is bigger than you could possibly imagine. If you buy the whole thing, you get the cast iron skillet that the pie is baked in, which explains a lot of the cost. But you can also grab an $18.99 slice, which still weighs 3 pounds, and is worth every penny (and bite). When I bought one on my last trip to Dollywood, it took me days to eat, and I still couldn’t finish it before it was time to check out of my hotel. But if you’re having a big enough Thanksgiving celebration—and it will be full of Dolly Parton fans—you can order one by calling Dollywood and they’ll ship it to your house. If you’d rather make a taste of the Smoky Mountains at home, here’s the recipe for Dolly Parton’s Apple Stack Pie, reprinted with permission from Dollywood, from its 1989 cookbook.
P.S. The book is out of print, but if you look hard enough, you can find used copies. And thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can read it in its entirety here.
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- Yields:
- 10 – 12 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr
Crust
- 6 c.
self-rising flour, plus more for dusting and pans
- 1/2 tsp.
baking soda
- 1 c.
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pans
- 4
large eggs, beaten to blend
- 1 c.
granulated sugar
- 2/3 c.
milk
- 1/2 c.
molasses
- 1 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
Filling & Assembly
- 1 lb.
apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/2 c.
water
- 1/2 c.
granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp.
ground allspice
Directions
-
Crust
- Step 1Preheat oven to 300°. In a medium bowl, sift four and baking soda; add butter and mix well to combine.
- Step 2In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs, granulated sugar, milk, molasses, cinnamon, and vanilla until fluffy and smooth. Add flour mixture and continue to beat until mixture resembles bread dough.
- Step 3Turn out dough onto a lightly floured board or cloth and knead with your hands to combine. Divide dough into 6 pieces and roll out layers like a pie crust.
- Step 4Grease and flour 6 round cake or pie pans. Place 1 round into each prepared pan; smooth surface.
- Step 5Bake crust until golden brown and set, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
-
Filling & Assembly
- Step 1In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook apples in water, stirring occasionally, until softened. Strain, then return to saucepan. Add granulated sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thickened.
- Step 2Spread filling on one side of each crust, then stack crusts on top of the other. You can make 2 (3-layer) cakes or 1 (6-layer) cake.
- Step 3This cake is best after it sits 2 to 3 days.
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