Dear Heloise:

Dear Heloise:

I’m looking for a recipe for Mock Apple Pie, which uses crackers instead of apples. I’ve looked all over for this recipe and can’t find it.

— Norma M., Sioux City, Iowa

Norma, I have the recipe you were looking for, and here it is:

MOCK APPLE PIE

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pan with one crust. In a medium saucepan, boil the water, sugar and cream of tartar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the whole crackers and boil for 1 minute. Spoon the mixture into the pie shell. Dot the top with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover the pie with the other crust and cut steam vents. Bake for 35 minutes. Let the pie cool completely before cutting into it.

For this recipe and many others, order my pamphlet Heloise’s AllTime Favorite Recipes by going to www.Heloise.com, or by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (70 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Recipes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 782795001. To add more flavor, try using brown sugar, a pinch of nutmeg or some allspice.

— Heloise Dear Heloise:

In applying glaze on sugar cookies, I use a small

Why do some recipes suggest using boiling water in the cake mix? — Irma R. in Detroit

Irma, the only time I’ve seen boiling water as a requirement was with chocolate cakes. The hot water makes the cocoa “bloom,” which brings out the flavor of the cocoa. It also makes it easier to mix the cocoa into the rest of the ingredients.

— Heloise Dear Heloise:

My mother reheated a slice of pizza for me using a frying pan instead of the microwave or a conventional oven. The pizza was crisp, hot and delicious. I’d never seen this done before, but it’s just one more way to enjoy leftover pizza.

— Carol B., Charleston, S.C. Dear Heloise:

Recently, you suggested that rinsing canned beans (kidney, navy, etc.) should be done to remove the excess salt. It always has been my understanding that rinsing these beans also helps remove the flatulence-producing ingredients contained in the liquid.

— Doug P., via email

Doug, well, actually it’s the beans, not the liquid, that cause flatulence. Beans contain a type of sugar that is not fully broken down by enzymes. The bacteria that work on this sugar releases a gas, which is eventually discharged.

— Heloise Dear Heloise:

I love spinach, especially when it’s fresh. In my family, we’d eat spinach with a little vinegar on it to enhance the flavor. We also added just a capful of vinegar to homemade navy bean soup, and it really improved the flavor!

— Rayna M., Elmhurst, Ill.