Instead of layering sliced apples into pastry, this historic New England dessert grates them directly on a box grater. Simmering the shredded fruit with sherry and lemon before folding it into an egg-and-cream custard creates a distinctive, spoon-tender texture.

Filling Elements

The recipe balances equal parts sweet and tart apples tossed with lemon juice and sherry. Melted butter and granulated sugar coat the grated fruit during a brief stovetop simmer. Heavy cream, beaten eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt form the custard base that binds the softened fruit together inside a par-baked pastry shell.

Cooking and Baking Steps

The crust is blind-baked with weights, then returned to the oven briefly without them to set the base. Meanwhile, grated apples cook in the skillet until soft and reduced, then rest off the heat to cool. Whisk the eggs, cream, and spices together, fold in the cooled fruit, and pour the filling into the crust. The pie starts at a high heat before dropping to finish baking, requiring complete cooling before cutting.

New England Marlborough Pie — Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 round pie crust dough
• 4 apples (2 sweet, 2 tart)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup sherry
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 eggs, beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a pie pan with your pie crust. Fold under overhang and crimp edges. Use a fork to prick holes all over bottom of crust. Line dough with foil or parchment paper, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 8 minutes.
2. Carefully remove beans/pie weights and foil, then return to oven for 5 minutes more. Set aside while you work on the filling.
3. Grate the apples on a box grater right down to the core, then transfer them to a medium bowl and mix in the lemon juice and sherry. Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, then add the grated apples along with their liquid and the sugar. Cook, stirring, until the liquid comes to a boil, then lower the heat so it simmers and keep cooking, stirring now and then, until the apples soften and most of the liquid has cooked away, roughly 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
4. While that cools, whisk the eggs, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl. Fold in the cooled apple mixture, then pour everything into the baked crust.
5. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F, then bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
6. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.