Apple Crumb Pie

Ingredients:

·         Pie Crust

·         5 large apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices¹ (approx 8-10 cups total - use a variety for better flavor)

·         2 Tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice

·         1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour

·         1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

·         1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·         1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

·         1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumble Topping

·         1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour

·         3/4 cup (95g) chopped walnuts, such as Diamond of California

·         1/3 (75g) cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Directions:

1.      Crust: Prepare or defrost crust.

2.      Make the filling: In a large bowl using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir the apples, lemon juice, flour, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla extract together until thoroughly combined. Set filling aside as the oven preheats; this time allows the apples to begin letting off their juice.

3.      Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).

4.      Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9x2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the apple filling into the crust, leaving some of the liquid in the bowl-- don't want all that in the pie. Use a small paring knife to trim excess dough off the edges.

5.      Make the crumble topping: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and walnuts. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the butter. The crumble topping will be thick and crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.

6.      Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.

7.      Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired. Cover pie leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

8.      Make ahead tip/Freezing: This a great pie to make 1 day in advance-- after it cools, cover tightly and keep at room temperature. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.