Apple pan dowdy is not betty, buckle, grunt, slump, cobbler, crisp, crumble or clafouti. These are all desserts made with apples or other fruit, but only one is the real dowdy.

Apple pan dowdy is a Colonial American after-dinner (or anytime-you-can-get-it) treat dating back some 200 or more years. It is a baked apple dish resembling a pie or cobbler, but with a top which has been made to look “dowdy” by layering overlapping pieces of rough cut dough, rather than carefully stretching a single uniform piece of nice smooth pie dough. The result is sort of frumpy, old-fashioned and frowzy appearing, which are synonyms for the word “dowdy,” which itself means somewhat unfashionable and out-of-place. Think of Carol Burnett dressed up like The Charwoman, her signature character – not fashionable, but certainly endearing and memorable. That’s Carol’s character and that’s apple pan dowdy, a slightly messy but delightful result.

Here is a Google image of an apple pan dowdy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reason I thought of apple pan dowdy is because I used the words with my wife and she said, “What are you saying? Where did you hear such a thing?” This is before I figured out — with the Internet’s help above – the whole bit about Betty and Slump and Carol and The Charwoman. I didn’t even draw the connection to the word “dowdy,” which is obviously the source of the dish’s name. I didn’t even think, “dish.” I just remembered, “hearing” something. It was in my head, that catchy little apple pan dowdy something, humming and singing to me.

It was before my time by a few years, but I bet it was still on the radio when I was a little guy crawling on the floor beneath my Mom, who was singing and baking around the kitchen, with this song:

 

Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy

Makes your eyes light up

Your tummy say “Howdy.”

Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy

I never get enough of that wonderful stuff

 

That’s it. A young Dinah Shore sang the song. In 1946, it was #7 on the Billboard chart. With those lyrics and catchy tune, I’m sure people kept singing, baking and shaking to “Apple Pan Dowdy” for a long time after that. I mean, who could resist a friendly pan of dowdy and a song to sing along with it?

To listen to Dinah and Apple Pan Dowdy on YouTube, just click below.

 

 

I just did and that was so good.

I feel better all over.

Shoo Fly Pie

and

Apple Pan Dowdy

I’m wondering, “What’s for dessert tonight?”

Not cobbler, betty, buckle, grunt, slump, crisp, crumble or clafouti, I hope.

I’m looking for something a bit more dowdy.

If you know what I mean.

Sing it again:

 

Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah

Someone’s in the kitchen I know

Bakin’ an Apple Pan Dowdy

And shakin’ to the radio

 

Now, where did that come from?

Why am I thinking “Railroad”?

 

Fee, fie, fiddly-i-o-o-o-o

Fee, fie, fiddly-i-o

Bakin’ to the

Old radio

 

Grandpa Jim