Science experiments

APPLE PIE WITHOUT APPLES
Making a Chemical Pie

We are going to bake a very unusual apple pie. It will be unusual because it does not contain apples. It will taste like apple pie and look like apple pie because your senses will be tricked into thinking it is apple pie. You will use chemicals to produce the taste and flavor of apples and cracker pieces to resemble chunks of apples.

MATERIALS:

Pastry for two piecrusts (top and bottom)
Box of crackers
Sugar (sucrose, C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁), 1.5 cups
Butter, 1 tsp
Cinnamon
Cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate, KHC₄H₄O₆), 1.5 tsp
Pie pan
Mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Large pot

PROCEDURE:

REMEMBER: You are going to eat this, so don't do it in the lab.

1. Place 2 cups of water in the pot and heat it until it boils.

2. While the water is heating, mix the sugar and cream of tartar in a bowl.

3. Add the mixture to the boiling water, a little at a time, and stir to dissolve completely.

4. Add 20-25 whole crackers, one at a time, to the boiling solution.

5. Boil for about 3 min, but do not stir.

6. Pour the mixture into a pastry-lined pie pan.

7. Sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon on top of the pie filling.

8. Melt the butter and drip it evenly over the filling.

9. Cover with a pastry top. Stick a knife through the top several times to allow steam to escape.

10. Bake the pie in a preheated oven at 450 deg. F for about 30 min or until the crust is brown.

11. Cool, and enjoy eating your experiment.

REACTION:

The cream of tartar produces a weak acid, which combines with other ingredients to produce the taste of apples. This acid, combined with the pieces of solid cracker, closely resembles the taste and appearance of apple pie.

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