There is something truly special about a homemade pie, though they are time-consuming and a many-step process, with a dough that can be finicky and intimidating. I certainly didn’t truly appreciate pie until I started baking it myself.

I love that pie is usually inexplicably tied to a special person or memory. I can’t even count how many times someone has told me, “My mom made the best apple pie,” or “I remember my grandma always had a fresh-baked pie when we would visit.” What is it about pie that makes it so nostalgic?

Because pies are best when made with fresh ingredients, pie fillings cycle in and out throughout the year, depending on what’s in season. We are lucky to be in an area where some fruits are available year-round, which means fruit pies all the time. However, there are some elusive fruits, like apricot, that are around for a short time and sometimes hard to find. It makes those seasonal treats that much sweeter to enjoy!

Fall is apple (pie) season in California. Ironically, apples originated from Asia, while apple pie was first introduced and established in England as early as 1390, with culinary influences from France, the Netherlands and the Ottoman Empire. Both were introduced to the Americas much later by European settlers, and by 1790, like any good rebellious child, colonists quickly adapted the recipe and made it “different” enough to claim it as their own. If you consider that most things considered truly American are a conglomeration of influences from other cultures, the phrase “as American as apple pie” actually makes a bit of sense.

If you have some patience and determination, here is an apple pie that will make even the most skeptical ask for more.