Best Apple Crumble Pie
Submitted by RozV
Apple crumble pie cooks tart green apples on the stovetop with mace and lemon, then bakes them in a flaky shell under a buttery cookie-crumb topping. A streusel-style pie that skips the soggy bottom.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minApple crumble pie is the smarter sibling of the classic double-crust apple pie. Pre-cooking the apples on the stove and blind-baking the pie shell for ten minutes solves the two great pie tragedies in one shot, no soggy bottom and no half-raw apples swimming in their own juice.
Green apples, the tart kind, are the right pick here. They keep their shape during the brief sauté and balance the brown sugar in the topping. A pinch of mace is the secret weapon, it has all the warm, woodsy character of nutmeg with a brighter, almost floral edge that wakes up the apples without overwhelming them.
The crumble topping comes together with cookie crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Use whatever cookies you’ve got, vanilla wafers, shortbread, gingersnaps, each gives the topping a different personality. A handful of chopped nuts mixed in adds crunch.
The finished pie cools to set the filling. Cut too soon and you’ll get a delicious mess. Worth the wait.
Pro Tips
- Slice the apples thin and even, thick chunks won’t soften enough in the short oven time.
- Bloom the cornstarch in the pan with the apples, dry-stirring it on the stove activates it without lumps.
- Save a few cookie crumbs to scatter on top after baking for textural contrast.
- Let the pie cool to nearly room temp before slicing, the filling firms up as it sets.
Variations
- Use gingersnap crumbs in the topping for a spicier, fall-forward profile.
- Add a half cup of dried cranberries to the apples for tart, jewel-toned bites.
- Swap mace for cardamom and add a teaspoon of cinnamon for a chai-spiced version.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat on top of the stove.
Add the apples, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the cover and add the sugar, juice, mace and cornstarch.
Cook another minute, stirring, remove from the heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, place prepared pie shell in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
While the pie shell is baking, combine cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar and mix well.
Remove pie shell from the oven and add the cooked apple mixture.
Sprinkle the cookie crumble over the apples and replace in the oven for another 20 minutes.
Cool the pie to room temperature before serving.
Comments
