Monday, October 24, 2011

Weekend Baking - Apple Pie with Crumb Topping

I have always been a BIG fan of apple pie, even McDonald's.  My favorite apple pie was the one sold at the UP College of Law canteen when I was still in college.  That was more than a decade ago.  As much as I can remember, it has a cookie crust and a crumb topping.  So for this weekend, I have decided to start my quest for the most delicious apple pie for me and my family's taste.

I searched online for various ways of making the crust, the filling, and the topping.  And below is my first apple pie experiment...


Crust Ingredient & Preparation:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted

(however, I wanted a thicker crust so I increased the ingredient by 50% more)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well and press into a 10-inch pie plate and up the sides.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

Crumb Topping Ingredients & Preparation:

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted

3. In a bowl, combine all dry topping ingredients.  Pour cool melted butter into the dry mixture.  Toss and cut until small to medium sized chunks form.  Break up large chunks as needed.  Refrigerate until needed.

Filling Ingredients & Preparation:

3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I used calamansi juice)
4 medium-sized Granny Smith apples and 1 large Fuji apple, peeled and sliced
(original recipe suggested 6 cups apple chunks)

4. In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Gently stir in lemon or calamansi juice, vanilla, and apples.  Spoon mixture into the crust-lined pan.
5. Bake for 35 minutes and remove from oven.


6. Place the crumb topping mixture on top.  Place back in the oven and bake for another 45 minutes.  Cover with foil if it begins to over brown.

Allow the pie to rest and cool before serving.


Enjoy!


Family Rating:
me - 5
hubby - 5
daddy - 3.5
mommy - 3 (She wanted sweeter apples)
sister - 3

I hope my next apple pie experiment will satisfy my parents' and sister's tastes.

If you happen to try my recipe, please let me know how much did you enjoy it too. =D


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