Special Apple Pie
Submitted by MAMALADYII
Sour cream apple pie with a cinnamon-spiced shortbread crust and a buttery walnut streusel top. McIntosh apples bake into a custardy filling that sets up creamy under the crunchy walnut topping.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
45 minREADY
90 minThis isn’t a traditional double-crust apple pie. The bottom is a tender, cinnamon-laced shortbread crust pressed into a deep 10-inch pan. The middle is a custard of sour cream, eggs, sugar, and sliced McIntosh apples that bakes into something between a pie and a cheesecake. The top is a rubbly walnut streusel that adds the only real crunch in the whole assembly.
McIntosh is the right apple here. It softens fully and turns into silky ribbons in the custard rather than holding firm bite the way Granny Smith would. If you swap apples, pick a softer baker like Cortland or Empire.
The baking schedule has three phases. Hot start at 450°F (230°C) for 10 minutes to set the crust, then 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes for the filling to puff and set, then 15 more minutes after the streusel goes on so the topping turns golden without scorching.
Pro Tips
- Cut cold butter into the flour until it looks like coarse meal. Overworking the dough makes a tough crust.
- Use apple cider instead of water in the crust for a faintly fruity backbone that ties into the filling.
- Add the streusel in the last 15 minutes only. Putting it on earlier turns the walnuts bitter and the topping greasy.
- Tent the crust edges with foil if they brown too fast. The total bake is over an hour.
Variations
- Swap walnuts for pecans for a sweeter, mellower topping.
- Add 2 tablespoons of bourbon to the filling for a grown-up version.
- Stir ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg into the streusel for warmer spice.
Ingredients
Directions
For Crust: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl.
Cut in butter using pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add water and toss mixture gently with fork until evenly moistened, Gather gently into ball.
Transfer to lightly floured board and roll into circle slightly larger than a deep 10- inch pie plate.
Ease pastry into pan and flute high edge.
Set aside.
For filling: Preheat oven to 450 F.
Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well.
Spoon into crust. Bake 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350℉ (180℃) and continue baking until filling is slightly puffed and golden brown, about 40 minutes.
(If edges of crust begin to brown too quickly, cover with strips of aluminum foil.)
For topping: Meanwhile, combine walnuts, flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl and mix well.
Blend in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Spoon over pie and bake 15 minutes longer.
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