Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
A combination of tart and sweet apples, buttery pastry, and nutty, brown sugar streusel makes this apple pie with crumb topping a holiday winner.
Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
Photo Credit : Heath RobbinsA combination of tart and sweet apples, buttery pastry, and nutty, brown sugar streusel makes this apple pie with crumb topping a holiday winner.
How to Make Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
Yield:
8 servingsIngredients
1 1/2 pounds (about 3 large) firm-tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Northern Spy, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges or slices
1 1/2 pounds (about 3 large) firm-sweet apples, such as Pink Lady, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges or slices
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons firmly packed light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
All-purpose flour (for work surface)
1/2 recipe Double-Crust Pastry, prepared and chilled
Instructions
In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 400° and set a rack to the lowest position. Make the streusel, set aside.
On a floured surface, roll out one disc of dough (freeze the other disc for later), working from the center, into a 10-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate and press into the sides. Drape any excess crust over the edge; then fold under and crimp. Fill the crust with the apple mixture, then top evenly with the streusel. (Press down a bit to make the topping as even as possible.)
Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake on the bottom rack 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° and bake until the topping is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool on a rack at least 45 minutes before serving; the apples stay very hot for quite a while, and the pie slices better if you give it a chance to set up.
For the Streusel Topping:
Ingredients
1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped fine
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
Stir together the pecans, flour, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
Add the melted butter, and stir with a fork until small clumps form.
Double-Crust Pastry
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
6–8 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt until well combined. Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour mixture, and use your fingers to smear them in. Stop when the mixture looks like cornmeal with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water on top, and stir with a fork until the dough begins to come together. If needed, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of ice water.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three times, or just enough to make it cohesive. Don’t overmix! Gather the dough into a ball; then divide it into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other if you’re using both crusts for one pie. Press each piece into a disc and wrap them in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Note: You may prepare the dough in advance and refrigerate it for up to five days, or freeze it for up to three months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator before using it.
