The days shorten almost imperceptibly — a slow tilt of light across the floor. Somewhere, a bell rings again. Bags are zipped, shoes tightened. A return begins. And in the quiet that follows, something warm is prepared. It is the time of year when structure begins to gather at the edges. But before the rhythm sets in fully, there is this: a pie, drawn before it is made.
✦ Ingredients :
Everything is simple. Almost shy.
For the dough :
300 gr Flour, pale and soft, waiting to become structure.
150 gr Unsalted softened butter, left at room temperature .
Sugar — not measured yet, just a pinch.
20 cl Milk so everything together become a dough.
Apples, six or seven — enough to fill the dish.
Some Nutmeg grated to spiced a little.
Sugar — so the apples get a light veil of caramel.
They are not yet mixed, not yet touched. Only noticed.
Sketched first, before they are taken from the cupboard.
Held in pencil the way one might hold them in the hand — with care, with attention.
✦ Ustensils :
Everything you’ll need, gathered in drawing:
A bowl for dough.
A knife for peeling.
A wooden spoon, slightly chipped.
The rolling pin — long, familiar.
A measuring cup or an antique scale.
A glove, for when the oven is hot.
A dish, remembered more than described.
✦ The Making :
The crust:
Flour and butter meet in a bowl. They are worked together — not too much — just until they become something like coarse sand. Cold milk is added a spoonful at a time. The dough comes together. It rests. It waits.
The filling:
3 Apples are peeled, cored, sliced. They do not need much. Only sugar, a bit of nutmeg and time. A spoon stirs gently. The fruit begins to glisten.
4 other apples are also peeled, cored, sliced. They will come on top of the compote.
The assembly:
The dough is rolled out, fitted to a dish. The apples are poured in. The top apples are added, forming a beautiful crown. The pie is brushed with a little water, then sprinkled with sugar.
The waiting:
And then: into the oven.
It bakes. The house shifts. A scent rises. Outside, the world rushes back to schedule. But here, a pie is made — simply, beautifully. Drawn first. Then real.
A back to school treat.
A small offering.
A warm return to the sweet side of the everyday life.
And you ? What’s your secret for a tender back to school ?
