If you ever find yourself driving down a road in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, there’s a good chance you’ll pass a bona fide horse-and-buggy trotting alongside you. No, you haven’t stepped back in time — you’ve found your way into Amish territory. Or, to look at it another way, you’ve stumbled upon a food lover’s paradise.
The next time you’re in or around Lancaster, you’d be remiss not to stop by an Amish bakery or two. Sure, not all the baked goods inside are unique, and you’ll find a lot of familiar favorites — but Amish baked goods are often intensely flavorful, and rival even the best homemade recipes. I recently visited some spots in Lancaster’s Amish Country and got to sample several bakes for myself, most notably from Bird-in-Hand Bake Shop (which we’ve already named as the spot to get the best pie in Pennsylvania). Keep reading to discover some standout Amish bakes you simply have to try, largely drawn from my experience at the bakery.
Snitz Pie
“What’s snitz?” This was one of many questions I asked while inside the bakery, and the Amish employees seemed surprised that the term wasn’t familiar to me. They told me that snitz refers to dried apple slices, which are basically rehydrated, run through a mill, and baked into pie. The pie typically gets both a top and a bottom crust before being baked to golden-brown perfection.
The texture differentiates snitz pie from traditional apple pie. The filling of a snitz pie is smooth and thick, whereas an apple pie often boasts slices or chunks of apples within. Snitz will have almost a pecan pie consistency on the inside. The flavor is often more compact because of this, and the benefit of two crusts can’t be overstated — especially if a buttery crust is your favorite part of a pie, as it is mine.
Shoofly Pie
Shoofly pie has a long and interesting history, but one thing’s for certain — this Pennsylvania Dutch delicacy is a must-have the next time you’re in Amish Country. I mean, even if you have no clue what’s inside, it’s hard not to be tempted by its looks alone. A crackly, crumbly, golden-brown topping? Yes, please!…