Best Classic Apple Crumb Pie Recipes

APPLE CRUMB PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place sliced apples in a large bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice, if desired. In a small bowl, mix together white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over apples and toss until apple slices are evenly coated. Stir in raisins and walnuts (optional). Transfer mixture into pastry shell.
• In a small bowl ,mix together 1/2 cup flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Cover top loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

APPLE CRUMBLE PIE

Steps:

• For the dough: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with pea-sized bits of butter. Add the egg mixture and pulse until the dough just comes together. (If the dough is very dry, add up to 1 extra tablespoon cold water.) Remove the dough, gently pat it into a round, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, put the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Peel and core the apples; cut each in half, and cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the apples and brown sugar to the bowl with the lemon juice, and toss.
• Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the sugared apples and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes.
• Strain the apples in a colander set over a medium bowl to catch all the juices. Shake the colander to extract as much liquid as possible. Return the juice to the skillet and simmer over medium heat until it has thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
• Toss the apples with the thickened juice, cinnamon, salt, cloves, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside to cool completely. (The cooled filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 6 months.)
• For the streusel topping: Whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers until it has been absorbed. Mix in the almonds.
• To assemble and bake the pie: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and place a baking sheet on it. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Layer it between pieces of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
• Ease the dough round into a 9-inch pie pan. Fold and crimp the edges as desired. Add the filling, and spread it out to make an even layer. Squeeze handfuls of the streusel topping, and drop clumps of it on top of the filling to completely cover it.
• Bake the pie on the preheated baking sheet until the crust and streusel are golden brown, about 1 hour. Let it cool on a cooling rack for at least 3 hours before serving. (The pie keeps well, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours or refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

CLASSIC APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Peel and core the apples; slice 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, cinnamon and salt and stir until the juices thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Roll out 1 disk of dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Add the cooled filling and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Roll out the remaining disk of dough into a 12-inch round. Lay the dough over the filling and press the two crusts together around the edges. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp with your fingers. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut a few slits in the top crust to let steam escape. Chill 1 hour.
• Put a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 425 degrees F for at least 30 minutes. Put the pie directly on the hot baking sheet and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F; bake until the pie is golden and the filling is bubbly, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes, rotating the pie as needed. (Cover the edges with foil if they are browning too quickly.) Transfer to a rack and let cool until the filling is set, about 3 hours.
• Pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, vinegar and salt in a food processor until it looks like fine meal. Add the butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough with your fingers; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 4 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse again.
• Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pat each into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or preferably overnight, or freeze up to 2 months.