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An apple caramel pecan pie born from a railway lunch counter

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(Image credit: Annie Wells/Getty Images)

 By Nylah Lee 1st July 2023

In her new cookbook, Where We Ate, Gabby Peyton shares her recipe for a pie
with a caramel-glazed crust and a warm apple-cinnamon filling.

Article continues below

n her new cookbook, Where We Ate, Canadian historian, food writer and

I restaurant critic Gabby Peyton chronicles Canada's past and present through
its restaurants, explaining how they are a key part of understanding the whole
of Canadian cuisine. To Peyton, "It's not about what you ate, it's where you ate,"
thus, her cookbook is a "love letter" to the Canadian restaurants that shaped her childhood
and community.

From Chinese restaurant Sing Tom's Café in Brandon, Manitoba, to a Greek restaurant called
King of Donair in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada is a product of diverse influence. Its culture is
not defined by a singular region, but by the cultural diffusion resulting from travel and
waves of immigration that span the pre-confederation era (prior to 1867) to present day. For
Peyton, who spent her childhood in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, this often
meant that some of her favourite dishes were not prepared in her own kitchen. They were
shared under the ambience and community of a restaurant experience.

Where We Ate tells the stories of 150 historic Canadian restaurants along with their most
cherished recipes, like the flaky double-crusted apple caramel pecan pie borne from a lunch
counter in the McAdam Railway Station Hotel in McAdam, New Brunswick.

[ jump to recipe]

Much like other Canadian railway hotels at the start of the 20th Century, the McAdam
initially served as lodging for the influx of luxury travellers. While these first-class
passengers enjoyed meals in the formal dining room, second- and third-class passengers
were served at the 53-seat, M-shaped lunch counter of the combined the railway station
and hotel.

"Until the early 1990s, any train traveller headed into the Maritimes [Prince Edward Island,
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick] would make their way through McAdam Junction, where
weary travellers would dig into the famous 'railway pie[s]' newspapers as far away as Boston
raved about the circular desserts even in the early days," explained Peyton.

While these first-class passengers enjoyed meals in the dining room, second- and third-class
passengers were served at the 53-seat, M-shaped lunch counter (Credit: Jason Bennett)

The railway was converted into a museum in 1994, soon followed by the hotel; however, due
largely to the success of its landmark pies, the lunch counter remained fully operational. By
2010, the McAdam Historical Restoration Commission saw the pies as a lucrative
fundraising opportunity. Thus began Railway Pie Sundays, and for the next nine years,
around 12,000 people would gather in the New Brunswick Station every Sunday to sample a
selection of 24 pies, "from Apple Caramel Pecan or Hawaiian Rhubarb to Lemon Meringue
or Key Lime, made by four local women, two of whom were in their 90s," said Peyton.

One of these four women, Agnes Campbell, was the pie maker behind the beloved apple
caramel pecan pie and currently serves as a director for the restoration commission. This
cherished dessert is a classic brown sugar, cinnamon and apple-filled pie that is distinct for
the finely chopped pecans sprinkled over the top and bottom crusts, along with a sticky
caramel drizzle.

Of all the pie variations that would emerge from the ovens of the McAdam Railway Station
Hotel, Campbell's caramel apple pecan pie was her husband Frank Campbell's pie of choice.
Frank, who is treasurer for the commission, told Peyton that he believed this pie is integral
to the story of the McAdam, not just because of its rave reviews, but because several
varieties of apples thrive in the Maritime region, including the McIntosh apple used in this
recipe.

When Railway Pie Sundays return on 5 July, museum visitors will be able to try the historical
dessert at the McAdam Railway Station's lunch counter for the first time in four years after
an intentional pie-baking hiatus. However, for those who want to replicate a slice of railway
pie from the comfort of their own kitchen, Peyton provides a variation of Agnes' recipe in
Where We Ate.

While Peyton tried to limit alterations to the recipes in the book to maintain the historical
and traditional preparation of each dish, she paid careful attention to this recipe, seeking to
ensure that even the novice baker could replicate the pie, whether for a Canada Day
celebration or for one's very own Railway Pie Sunday.

"I want to make sure that anybody could pick up this recipe and easily figure out how to
make [it], because everyone needs to know how to bake a pie!"
Gabby Peyton chronicles Canada's past and present through its restaurants (Credit: Alex Stead)

Apple Caramel Pecan Pie

By Gabby Peyton

Makes one 23cm (9-inch) pie

INGREDIENTS
 For the pie:
250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
190g (1 cup) shortening, cubed
60 ml (¼ cup) cold water
40g (about ¼ cup) finely chopped
pecans
6 large McIntosh apples, peeled and
sliced
52g (¼ cup packed) brown sugar
ground cinnamon

For the topping:

80 ml (⅓ cup) caramel sauce, store-
bought or homemade, plus more to taste
40g (about ¼ cup) chopped pecans, for
topping

Method

Step 1
Make the pie. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F. Place the flour and shortening in a large bowl
and, using a pastry blender or two knives, work the shortening into the flour until they come
together in pea-sized pieces. There should be no flour left in the bowl once it's worked in.

Step 2
Add the cold water and toss very lightly until slightly crumbly. The more you handle the
dough at this stage, the tougher the crust will be.

Step 3
Divide the dough into two equal balls and roll each out to a 30cm (12in) diameter. Gently
transfer one crust to a 23cm (9in) pie plate, making sure to work the dough into the edges of
the pan and up the sides. There will be some overhang.

Step 4
Sprinkle the finely chopped pecans over the bottom crust (use just enough to make a single
layer). Add the sliced apples to the pie plate until it won't hold any more (don't worry, the
apples will shrink during baking). Pat a thin layer of brown sugar over the top of the apples,
then sprinkle with a thin layer of cinnamon.

Step 5
Top with the second pie crust, and crimp or use a fork to seal the edges, trimming any
overhang. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.

Step 6
Place the pie on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil to catch any drips during baking.
 Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. A fork or
skewer inserted into the pie should be able to pierce the apples with minimal resistance.

Step 7
While the pie is still warm, drizzle with the caramel sauce, covering most of the crust with a
thin layer. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Serve warm or allow the pie to cool to room
temperature before serving.

BBC.com's World's Table "smashes the kitchen ceiling" by changing the way the world thinks
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