Apple Delight Pie

This apple crumble pie is about as simple as dessert baking gets. Cooked apples seasoned with sugar and allspice go into a pie dish, topped with a chunky streusel of self-rising flour, sugar, and cold margarine, then baked until golden brown.

There’s no pie crust to roll or blind bake. The crumble topping is the crust, and it comes together by hand in about two minutes. Mix the flour, sugar, and cold margarine with your fingers, leaving the texture deliberately chunky. Those irregular lumps are what bake into crispy, buttery bits scattered over the soft apples.

Use pre-cooked apples so the filling is already tender when it goes in. The oven time is really just about browning the topping and heating the filling through. Allspice adds a warm, clove-like note that pairs beautifully with baked apples.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a splash of cream.

Kitchen Tips

• Keep the margarine cold and firm so the crumble stays chunky instead of turning to paste
• Don’t overmix the topping, irregular pieces are what you want
• Self-rising flour gives the crumble a slight lift and lighter texture than regular flour

Variations

• Add a handful of rolled oats to the crumble topping for more texture
• Use cinnamon instead of allspice, or a blend of both
• Mix in fresh cranberries or raisins with the cooked apples for a fruitier filling