Apple crumble
The Story
Is there a dessert that screams fall more than apple pie and apple crumble? To me, they scream Thanksgiving and the holiday season, evoking my favorite kind of weather, sweater weather, when you just want something warm and comforting. Essentially, it’s a hug from your mom when you’re feeling blue in dessert form.
I’m a die-hard apple pie fan, so for Christmas every year I would always make the Claire Saffitz recipe for the Best Apple Pie from Bon Appetit for dessert. But to my shock and dismay, my dad finally confessed that he doesn’t like apple pie. He’s essentially been eating apple pie for the past 10 or 15 Christmases (plus leftovers) out of the goodness of his heart. I don’t blame him, I know not everyone is into apple desserts. And if you’re like him, try my mango-pineapple ripple cheesecake or my coconut cream pie for a tropical twist to your holiday table.
I obviously was super bummed since I love apple desserts. But thankfully I was contacted by someone where I live in Barcelona needing an apple crumble to take to a party. I took it as a sign since this would be the first year I’m not making apple pie for the holidays and I made two - one for my client and another for me! And wow, I think I may even like apple crumble better than apple pie! It’s got the flakey bottom pie crust to satisfy the pie craving, but the streusel topping is so to die for that it takes this pie to another level.
Like most pies, it’s not something you can make in an afternoon, so it’s best to plan ahead when you want to have an apple pie or apple crumble considering the long cooling time. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it just as much as my client did (apparently it was the first dessert to disappear from the sweets table at her party).
Difficulty: 3.5 on a scale of 1-5
Active time to prepare: 90 minutes
Total time to prepare: 7.5 hours - 8 hours including chilling, resting, baking, and cooling
Serves: 8-10
The Ingredients
For the crust:
1 3/4 cup/220 g flour
1 Tbsp./12 g sugar
1 tsp./6 g salt
1.5 stick/173 g salted butter, cut into cubes, chilled
1 Tsp./ g apple cider vinegar
For the apple crumble filling:
10 - 12 apples (I like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, and Pink Lady), peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup/102 g dark brown sugar
1/4 cup/50 g granulated white sugar
1 Tbsp./13 g vanilla extract
2 Tbsp./18 g cinnamon
1/2 tsp./1.5 g nutmeg
1/2 tsp./1.5 g cardamom
Juice half a lemon + 1/2 cup/120 g lemon juice
1 cup/240 g apple juice
2 Tbsp./10 g cornstarch
3 Tbsp./45 g water
For the crumble:
2 cups/180 g rolled oats
1 1/2 cups/306 g dark brown sugar
3/4 cup/90 g flour
1 Tbsp./9 g cinnamon
1 tsp./5.3 g salt
1.5 stick/173 g salted butter, cut into cubes, chilled
Equipment:
9-inch/23 cm deep pie dish
The Recipe
Crust:
In a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine.
Add the cubed butter to the food processor and pulse until the butter pieces are the size of a pea.
In the measuring cup with the ice water add the apple cider vinegar. Mix to combine.
While running the food processor in long pulses, add the water-vinegar mixture. The mixture should start to come together to form a shaggy dough (it will clump by clumpy in some places with some loose dry bits).
*NOTE: If the dough is still dry, add more cold water 1 tablespoon at a time. Remember that the dough will hydrate as it rests, so it’s okay if it’s a bit dry in spots.
*NOTE: You can make this dough by hand. Just use your fingers to break up the butter into pea-size pieces. Then drizzle the liquid evenly over the top of the dough and using a fork manually mix it until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a cutting board. Press it together to form a somewhat rectangular disk.
Cut the dough into 4 quadrants and stack each one on top of each other. Smoosh the dough to form a rectangular disk.
Repeat, step 6 cutting the dough and pressing it back together into a rounded disk around 1 1/2 inch/3.8cm thick. Pinch all the way around the disk on the edges of the dough to help the dough not crack when you’re rolling it out.
*NOTE: The cutting and stacking of the dough is what creates all the amazing layers in this dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Unwrap the dough and dust both sides of it as well as your work surface and rolling pin with flour.
Working from the middle out to the edges, turn the dough as you roll it to around 1/4 inch/.65 cm thickness.
Roll the dough around your rolling pin and drape it inside the pie plate.
Using the pads of your fingers gently nudge the dough into the edges of the plate.
Trim the edges of the dough so that you have around 1 inch/2.5 cm of overhang. Ball up the dough and use it to ensure the dough is flush with the edges of the dish lightly pressing it around the perimeter.
Fold the overhang underneath and crimp as desired. Cover and chill until very cold (I leave it in the freezer for an hour).
Apple filling:
Add the apples, sugars, vanilla, spices, and the juice of half of lemon. Set aside for 1 hour.
Add the 1/2 cup lemon juice, apple juice, and any juices accumulated in the bowl of the apple mixture to a saucepan.
Over medium heat, reduce the liquid by half. Raise the heat to medium-high until the mixture comes to a boil.
Mix the cornstarch and the water together. Stream into the apple liquid, combining with a whisk.
Remove from the heat and mix the thickened liquid with the apples.
Remove from the heat and add butter a couple of pieces at a time, until fully melted. Continue this process until you’ve added all the butter.
Strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.
Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill.
Apple crumble topping:
Add the oats, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt to a bowl. Mix to combine.
Add the butter, and using the tips of your fingers, rub the butter in until the mixture starts to clump together. Set aside.
Assembly:
Preheat the oven to 375° C/190° F, and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
To the prepared pie plate lined with the crimped pie dough, add the apple filling.
Top with the crumble mixture, pressing it together into small clumps little by little as you place it on top.
Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake in the oven until the top is golden brown, the bottom pie crust is baked (check by lifting the plate - the dough should be matte instead of shiny), and the filling starts to bubble to the surface around the edges (1 hour to 1.5 hours).
*NOTE: If the crumble topping start to brown too much before the pie crust has fully cooked, place a piece of foil over the top.
Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before you cut into it.
DO AHEAD: You can make the crust up to one day in advance and store it in the refrigerator. If stored in the freezer, it will last for up to three months.
You can make the crumble topping up to one day in advance, stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
LEFTOVERS: Loosely cover the pie with aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
