photograph and text by Sharon Kitchens

This weekend needed some feel-good baking and Marion Cunningham’s recipes have yet to let me down in that department. Pie has always been one of my comfort foods and I have apples to use up from my share in Super Chilly Farm’s Maine Heritage Apple CSA, so apple pie it was. Cunningham recommends this pie with a small piece of Cheddar cheese and a cup of hot coffee for breakfast. That sounds good, but even better – some vanilla frozen yogurt (or ice cream). So yummy, and bonus you have all those cornflakes left over for breakfast or snacking. Enjoy! ox

Breakfast Apple Pie from Marion Cunningham’s The Breakfast Book

Ingredients
1 cup cornflakes
One unbaked 8- or 9-inch pie shell (homemade or store bought)
5 large, tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into tenths
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
7 Tbsp butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 450.

Sprinkle the cornflakes evenly over the pie shell. Toss the apple slices, sugar, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl until all the apple slices are coated. Spread the apple mixture over the pie shell.

Make the topping. Put the flour, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles irregular bread crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the apple slices.

Bake the pie for 10 minutes at 450, then reduce the heat to 350 and continue to bake for about 35 minutes, or until the apples are tender and bubbling. Serve warm.

Yield: 6 servings