Course: Desserts
Servings
8servings
Prep time
25minutes
Cooking time
50minutes
Calories
380kcal
Cooling Time
20minutes
Ingredients
- Pie Crust
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
- Apple Filling
- 6 medium apples
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Crumble Topping
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- Pinch of salt
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them in with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Gradually drizzle in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together. It should feel slightly firm but not sticky. Form the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This rest allows the butter to chill and the gluten to relax, resulting in a flaky texture.
- Once the dough has chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛-inch thickness. Fit it into a 9-inch pie dish, gently pressing into the corners. Trim any excess dough from the edges and crimp decoratively. Return the crust to the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Place them in a large bowl, then add granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Toss everything together until the apple slices are evenly coated. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to draw out some of the natural juices.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and rub them between your fingers until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Keep it slightly chunky rather than sandy those little butter pieces are what create the signature crumble texture.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove the chilled crust from the refrigerator. Spoon the apple filling into the crust, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples, covering them completely without pressing down too firmly.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to catch any drips. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. If the topping begins to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Let the pie cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This allows the filling to set so each slice holds together neatly.
Notes
- Chill your butter well before making the crust and topping for extra flakiness.
- Always use fresh, firm apples; overly ripe ones will turn mushy after baking.
- If your apples are very juicy, sprinkle 1 extra tablespoon of flour in the filling to prevent sogginess.
- For an extra caramel flavor, replace 1 tablespoon of sugar in the filling with maple syrup.
- Letting the pie rest before slicing helps the filling set for neat, clean cuts.