Sweet Sundays: Crunch Top Apple Pie

 

I have been obsessed with pie crust lately.  I think the success of my buttermilk pie has gone to my head.  I want to tackle every pie, every hand-pie, anything that has a crust.  I think what I what I am obsessing over the most is the fact that I have shied away from pie for so long, because it looks and seemed so complicated.  Guess what!  It isn’t!  Once you figure out the crust and have a crust recipe you like baking pies are a piece of cake!  Er, I mean pie.

Todays recipe comes from “The Lady & Sons Just Desserts”, by Paula Deen.  Now I love Paula Deen.  Her recipes are easy and they don’t have ingredients that can’t be found in my local grocery store.  In fact a few of the recipes that I have made out of her cookbooks, I can find right in my pantry.  So back to the apple pie.  I had yet to conquer this iconic American delicacy.  Wait, let me start again.  I was at work one day and I over heard my name in a conversation about desserts and making things.  “Sara makes a great pie.  You should have her make you one.” That of course put a smile on my face but then a shadow of doubt came to me.   I had only ever made one pie and it may have been beautiful and delicious, I was afraid it was a fluke and a one time thing.  So I was approached to make an apple pie. “Sure, I can make apple pie.  No problem”.  (Did you read that I hadn’t done that yet?!!)  What have I gotten myself into!!!!!!!!!!!!

So that was my next challenge, and it really wasn’t one!  So simple!!!!!! Have confidence in your kitchen!  When you find a great recipe it all falls into place.  I used my go to crust recipe.  The link for the recipe is at the bottom of the blog.  Paula didn’t fail me either!  Together we created a beautiful, easy pie and it was easy as…………..

Links to pie crust recipe and other Paula Deen recipes

http://sara826-itstartedwithone.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-buttermilk-effect-part-2-buttermilk.html

http://sara826-itstartedwithone.blogspot.com/2010/08/lost-and-found-gooey-butter-cake.html

 

Technorati Tags: pie,dessert,apple,crust,easy

 

 

Crunch Top Apple Pie

 

Crust and filling

 

Dough for a double crust 9-inch pie (homemade, frozen or refrigerated)

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash of salt

3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped cooking apples ( I used Fuji apples, about 3 of them)

1 16-ounce jar of regular apple sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter, chopped into small pieces

For the Crunch Topping

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

Dash of salt

1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature

 

1.  Preheat oven to 425

2.  Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of the dough.

3.  Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. 

4.  Stir in the apples, applesauce, and lemon juice.

5.  Spoon apple mixture into pie pan and dot with butter.

6  Cut remaining crust into strips and form a lattice pattern on the apple mixture.

*Note:  It is easier to do the lattice design directly on the pie.  I attempted to do it on parchment paper and then flipping it onto the pie.  Yeah, that didn’t work out to well

7.  For the crunch topping, combine the flour, sugar, salt in a bowl.

8  Use a fork and mash in the room temperature butter until it is crumbly.

9.  Sprinkle the crunch mixture over the pie.

10  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes then reduce the heat in the oven to 350 and continue baking for 45 minutes or until the crust and topping are golden brown.