Fibs and Family: KidLit Confections Apple Walnut Pie

I'm generally known as "The Cookie Queen," and most of the #KidLitConfections I share are cookies. But when November rolls around, my thoughts turn to pie and all of the delicious variations of this "easy as..." dessert! 

(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)

Today's book isn't a new release, but it's one I only discovered recently. (Isn't it lovely the way books don't expire? We can pick up a book that's several years old and enjoy it just as much as one that came out yesterday!) 

The Book:

THE 14 FIBS OF GREGORY K. by Greg Pincus

Description from the Publisher:

Failing math but great at writing, Gregory finds the poetry (and humor) in what's hard.

Gregory K is the middle child in a family of mathematical geniuses. But if he claimed to love math? Well, he'd be fibbing. What he really wants most is to go to Author Camp. But to get his parents' permission he's going to have to pass his math class, which has a probability of 0. THAT much he can understand! To make matters worse, he's been playing fast and loose with the truth: "I LOVE math" he tells his parents. "I've entered a citywide math contest!" he tells his teacher. "We're going to author camp!" he tells his best friend, Kelly. And now, somehow, he's going to have to make good on his promises.Hilariously it's the "Fibonacci Sequence" -- a famous mathematical formula! -- that comes to the rescue, inspiring Gregory to create a whole new form of poem: the Fib! Maybe Fibs will save the day, and help Gregory find his way back to the truth. For every kid who equates math with torture but wants his own way to shine, here's a novel that is way more than the sum of its parts.

My Thoughts:

I relate to Gregory K. in so many ways! I love language and writing, I'm a huge fan of a delicious apple pie, and I also used to tell myself I wasn't very good at math (until one of my math genius friends pointed out how many complicated equations I can do in my head whenever I'm figuring out a recipe)! Math is a subject that a lot of us love to hate (even when we're better at it than we think we are), and I love the way this story explores the fun side to our favorite "worst subject." I'm also a big fan of word play, so the play on words with "Fib" representing the complicated web of lies Gregory K. gets himself tangled up in, as well as the super-fun mathematical poetry he discovers ... well, that made this book a winner in my opinion!

The Recipe:

My great grandmother's apple pie recipe was a coveted family secret. She brought it to all the family gatherings, and for years all the aunts, uncles, and cousins asked her for the recipe, but she wouldn't spill. Then, my mom married my dad, and for some reason, Great-Grandma Wells decided that Mom was the one worthy to receive the recipe. (Probably because Mom was the kind of person who, every time she brought the pie to a family gathering, would proudly say "Thank you, it's Grandma's recipe" to anyone who complimented her. She respected the origins of the pie and gave credit where it was due.)

When I read  THE 14 FIBS OF GREGORY K. by Greg Pincus and saw the subplot wherein Gregory K's best friend's mom making the best apple pie ever, I immediately thought about Great-Grandma Wells, and my mom, and the amazing apple pie recipe that even people who didn't usually care for apple pie would line up to get a slice of.

The Apple Walnut Pie featured here isn't quite Grandma's recipe, because that's not mine to share. But this one is close, with just a bit of a spin to make it my own. And don't worry, it has been thoroughly taste-tested and given an enthusiastic thumbs-up from my test audience.

 Apple Walnut Pie

 2 (9-inch) pie crusts*

3-4 lbs. apples, cored & sliced

¼ c. butter

¼ c. sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

6 Tbsp. instant tapioca**

2 ½ c. walnut halves & pieces

Roll out one pie crust and place carefully in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, making sure the edges overlap the rim evenly. Keep the other crust covered, so it won’t dry out, and set aside for now. Stir together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. (Optional: Transfer to a jar with a sprinkles lid, if desired, for easy application of the cinnamon sugar to the pie as you’re building it.)

Sprinkle the bottom of the pie crust with a generous layer of cinnamon sugar. Then add apple slices in a spiraling layer to fully cover the bottom of the pie crust in the dish (about 3 apples worth of slices per layer).

Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. instant tapioca and approximately ¼ of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Dot with 1 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces. Then spread 1/3 of the walnut over it all.

Repeat layers (apples, tapioca, cinnamon sugar, butter, and walnuts) 2 more times.

Add another layer of apples, cinnamon sugar and butter. Carefully spread top crust evenly over the top of the pie, making sure to match up the edges of the top and bottom crusts.

Crimp the edges together, then use a sharp knife to cut a fun design into the center of the top crust to vent steam. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 45 more minutes, without opening the door. Let cool a bit, then serve & enjoy either on its own or with a scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream.

Serves 8.

* For an easy pie crust recipe, see my blog post for my Super-Simple Strawberry Cream Pie Recipe. When I need a gluten-free crust, my favorite is Chef Alina’s Gluten-Free Foolproof Cream Cheese Pie Crust (not my recipe, but quite delicious!)

**NOTE: This is not instant tapioca pudding—don’t go looking for Jell-o brand—but instant tapioca pearls, like you would use to make homemade tapioca pudding. A popular brand is Minute Tapioca (same brand/logo as Minute Rice)

This recipe pairs well with THE 14 FIBS OF GREGORY K. by Greg Pincus

Printable PDF Recipes