APPLE CRUMBLE PIE
This was one of the first desserts outside of chocolate and dulce de leche classics that I fell in love with. If you make it well, this apple crumble is a perfect combination of flavors and and textures. Add a scoop of ice-cream and you have even more flavors and textures added to this beauty. The original apple pie has a same crust and top. In this case, we are going to make a dough for the base but the top will be a perfectly crispy crumble.
To fully enjoy this desser, I recommend, eating it fresh from the oven or heating it for a few seconds in the microwave. You can add a little salted caramel on top and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. The combination of flavors is going to be the very best you ever have. I have an easy recipe for salted caramel posted as well. Link here.
Parts of this delicious Apple crumble pie:
Let’s start with the base. The base of this apple crumble pie is a fairly simple dough. The only secret to this base dough is that it needs a little chilling. That is, once the dough is assembled, so in a ball you are going to put it in the refrigerator for a while. After that, when you put the dough in the pan, you will also have to give it another resting time in the freezer. This is so the dough will hold its shape in the oven and bake in place. Since you are going to bake the base on its own, there is no filling to hold it in place, these steps are super important.
You are going to cook the filling separately. The apples go already cooked and seasoned to the tart base. Ideally, the apples come out juicy and very seasoned even after baking again in the oven. You wan to place them in the base with all the juices. The filling is pretty easy to make really.
Finally the crumble. The crumble is a mixture of flour, sugar and butter. Pretty simple right? You can also add pieces of walnuts or almonds for example. To make it, what you can do is use two knives to cut the butter. As the butter is cut, it mixes with the flour and sugar making the crumble.
Tips for a perfect apple crumble pie:
The filling: The filling is cooked on its own. In order for the filling to come out perfect, let’s start talking about the apples. The first thing you are going to do is peel the apples. While you can make this pie with the skins, I personally think it’s better without them. You are going to cut the apple into four pieces. You are going to cut those pieces into slices as thinly as you can. It is important to try to make all the slices the same size so they are cooked at the same time.
Baking: You are going to bake the pie base by itself first. You want to bake it until just before it starts to brown heavily. That is, when the dough becomes lighter, the edges are a little toasted and it looks cooked. After that, you are going to add the filling and the crumble on top. So, with all the parts of the apple crumble pie, it goes to the oven to finish baking.
The crumble: There are two ways to make a crumble. The first is by using cold butter. With the cold butter, the crumble is smaller, sandy texture. The second way to make the crumble is with butter at room temperature. This method gives you a thicker crumble and the pieces are bigger. The taste is the same. It is up to you and what you are looking for, for this dessert.
Equipment:
Bowls: One for the base dough and another for the crumble. If you want to measure all have the ingredients ready you will also need a few small bowls.
Knives: To make the crumble use two butter knives. You will also need a sharper knife to slice the apple.
Tart mould: A medium one will be fine. I used a xx inch.
Rolling pin: To roll out the dough.
Fork: To make small holes to the base of the dough once it is ready to go into the oven.
Wooden spoon: Or silicone spatula. You will need it to stir the filling while it cooks.
Saucepan: Medium or large.
Chopping board: To cut the apples on.
Peeler: I find it very comfortable to peel the apples.
Measures: Cups, tablespoons and a kitchen scale.
APPLE CRUMBLE PIE
Ingredients
- BASE
- 1 1/4 Cup flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 100 gr cold butter
- 1/4 Cup cold water
- FILLING
- 4 Medium apples
- 1 3/4 Cups of water
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 1/4 Cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 to 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 pinch of salt
- CRUMBLE
- 1 Cup flour
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 200 gr cold butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Add flour, salt, sugar and butter to a bowl. Use a couple of knives to work the ingredients making a crumble.
- Add water and work the dough with your hands until a ball forms.
- Sprinkle some flour on the counter and roll out the dough.
- To the tart mould, add some butter and flour to that the pie does not stick. Carefully place the rolled out dough on the mould and cut the excess.
- Freeze the dough for 20 to 30 minutes. Pinch with a fork to make holes in the base. Place in the oven fro 20 to 25 minutes or until the sides just start to brown.
- For the filling, wash, peel and take out the seeds of the apples. Cut into thin slices.
- On a sauce pan over medium heat, add water, sugar, cornstarch, spices and salt. Stir to combine.
- Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add apples, lowering the heat. Cover and let them cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Stirring occasionally
- For the crumble, add all of the ingredients to a bowl and just like with the dough, start slicing the cold butter with the sugar and flour until it looks like sand. Add filling and crumble to the bakes base and place in the oven again
- Bake for 50 minutes or so. Until the crumble and sides of the base look toasted.
