Pie Crust
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Not long ago a friend made a request for my “same delicious pie” but with a crumble topping – a wonderful evolution. When using the crumble topping, I recommend baking the pie shell 12 minutes before adding the filling. The crumble topping cooks quickly and will burn before the raw apples are cooked, so cook the apples with butter about 25 minutes until they are nice and tender before filling the pie.
Author: Anne Press
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
- The Crust
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons shortening (Crisco)
- 6 tablespoons ice cold water
- The Filling
- 8-10 med-large apples -- yields10 cups sliced thinly
- (mix of McIntosh, Granny Smith, Red Delicious)
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp all spice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- The Topping
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup flour
- ¾ cup one-minute oatmeal
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- The Assembly
- 9” Pyrex Pie Dish
- 4 tablespoons butter cut into sixteen pieces
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Start with the crust – mix together dry ingredients for the crust. Cut in the butter and shortening with fork or use a mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time and allow dough to come together. Quickly knead dough on floured surface sliding the heel of your hand across the top of the dough to incorporate all the butter. Cool the dough for 30 min before rolling out (see note).
- Next make the topping – place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and toss together. Cut butter in small pieces and using a fork blend until combined. Alternately, you can use a mixer with the paddle attachment to blend them. If the mixture becomes sticky, place it in the freezer to make it easier to crumble later.
- Peel, core and slice the apples thinly. Mix together sugar and spices and toss with apples. In a pan large enough to spread out the apples, melt but do not brown the butter. Add the apple mixture - cook on medium-low heat stirring at intervals until the apples are tender but not dry. Set aside.
- Divide dough in two –save one half for another pie, tart or quiche!
- Roll out bottom crust on floured surface and place in dish. Cut any excess dough away but leave enough to pinch a decorative pattern along the top edge. Line the uncooked crust with a large coffee filter and place weights inside to keep the dough from shrinking while baking (I use beans). Bake for 12 minutes and remove from oven, remove the filter and weights.
- Fill partly baked pie shell with cooked apple filling and cover the whole surface evenly with the crumbled topping.
- Bake in the middle of the oven at 375° for 30-40 minutes the crumble is golden brown.
- Cool completely before serving.
- NOTE: If you are adroit at rolling out pastry dough this step will not be necessary but if you are a beginner it is easier to handle cooler, firmer dough.
