Can apples and pumpkins make pies? Indeed, you can make delicious pies using these two commodities. However, some people might be wondering about the nature as well as differences between the two types of pies and how they are also prepared.
As such, this article outlines the similarities and differences between apple pie and pumpkin pie. It also highlights other important things that you might want to know about these two pies. You will also learn how you can substitute each product.
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Similarities between Pumpkin and Apple Pies
The major similarity between recipes for pumpkin pies and apple pies is that they rely on a spice blend that is rich in flavor and also convenient. If you have the basic ingredients for apple and pumpkin pies, then you are home and dry.
As you are going to see below, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice are three major ingredients used in making both apple and pumpkin pies. In the event that you have a shelf full of spices, you can choose the ones you want and add to the recipe of any pie. However, it is crucial that you should not use spices that have been in your shelf for more than one year.
With time, spices lose their flavor and vibrancy which can apply to all types of pies. If you use fresh spices when making your pie, you will significantly enjoy its deliciousness and freshness at the same time. You might not be able to enjoy the same if you use old ingredients.
In the same vein, you will also realize that apple pie spice is an effective ingredient that can significantly add flavor to your pie. While there are other substitutes for apple spice that can provide better results. You can blend your own apple spice and this can give you wonderful results.
To achieve the best results, you must also make sure that you use fresh ingredients since these are still flavorful. Old spices are not recommended since they are bound to lose their flavor over time. You should also add the right flavors to your recipe to make a delicious apple pie.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
The following are the ingredients to do it yourself (DIY) pumpkin pie spice:
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1½ teaspoons ground allspice
- 1½ teaspoons ground cloves
Ingredients for Apple Pie Spice
You should get the following ingredients for your DIY apple pie spice.
- 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- Ginger
As you can see from the above recipes for apple and pumpkin pies, they share the following ingredients: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Allspice. However, you can add more spices to create your desired flavor. You can also adjust the amount of spices that you add to suit your taste.
You should make sure that you have the basic ingredients for both apple and pumpkin pies. The other important aspect about these two recipes is that you should use your homemade spices in exactly the same way that you would use the preferred pre-made version.
Differences between Pumpkin Pie Spice and Apple Pie Spice
The major difference between pumpkin pie spice and apple spice is that pumpkin spice consists of an addition of cloves. However, pumpkin pie spice is the best substitute for apple pie spice that you can get even though it has cloves. For instance, cloves work quite well with other spices that are found in apple pie spice.
Cloves can perfectly complement apples and you can make a wonderful apple pie with them. However, some people might be worried that the flavor of cloves can be overwhelming or they simply do not like them but this is not a big issue. You can simply add a little extra cinnamon since it helps to mask the strong flavor of cloves.
Should you decide to use ground dried ginger or cloves or in some cases both in your pies, just add smaller quantities. The main reason is that allspice already consists of clove flavor so you must add moderate quantities.
Other Alternatives for Apple Pie Spice
Apple pie spice consists of a mixture of spices that are commonly used to make apple pies while the same applies to pumpkin pie spice. When making an apple pie, cinnamon is the strongest flavor and it goes along with nutmeg as well as allspice. Other spices like nutmeg and allspice are used in smaller quantities compared to cinnamon which is the basic spice.
In most cases, cinnamon is what most people desire from an apple pie. It can also be observed that there are certain recipes for pie apples that use cinnamon as the only spice. This makes cinnamon a perfect alternative to a blend of apple pie spice since it can also work quite well in various desserts. You can use cinnamon along with other spices within apple spice.
You will realize that a combination of cinnamon with nutmeg or ginger works better compared to cinnamon alone. Such combinations are effective since they provide other flavors that you may desire in an apple spice. You can add your preferred spice in the quantity that you desire.
Unless you want to make a specific apple pie recipe that requires you to use apple pie spice, it might not be necessary to use any spice in your apple pie. Apples can stand alone with just an addition of a little sugar. Apple pies are usually spiced since they retain little natural flavor once cooked. Therefore, the spice is to fool people but you should not use all the spices mentioned above and also remember to use the selected spices in smaller quantities.
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed reading this article and you are now clear about the similarities and differences between apple pie and pumpkin pie. As a recap, you should know that the recipes of these two pies share basic ingredients that include cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
You can add other spices to create your desired flavor. However, remember to use your homemade spice the way you do with the premade version. If you have comments or questions, you can leave them below.
