Apple Crumble Pie

Last week, I found some Granny Smith apples in the fridge.  I know I’m not supposed to eat it and I don’t.  What I realized when I saw those green apples was, it’s been a year since I made an apple pie.  So, I asked my mom to buy five pieces of Granny Smith apples at a price of Php20.00 each.  Much more cheaper compared with the grocery priced apples.

Patience is what you need in doing a pie.  It requires a slight kneading, resting and forming.  You also has to have the right recipe, the butter or shortening ratio to flour.  The final product, must of course be the flaky crust that everyone likes.  Failing to do so is a failed pie crust.

I don’t want to mess things up and I don’t want to knead today so what’s another way of eating an apple pie is making an apple crumble pie.  Apple crumble pie does not require kneading and my favorite part is, I get to enjoy the buttery sweetness of the crust plus the cinnamon flavored apple filling that is to die for.

I think I’m over acting but the taste of buttery crumble, the sweet cinnamon flavored filling, the hint of tartness coming from the apple and the crisp bite on the apple is like a symphony of flavor and texture that would cause you to close your eyes and savor every bite of the apple crumble pie.  Well, that’s what happened to me.  I just so love their harmony.

You may also want to add some chopped toasted nuts for additional bite and flavor if you want to.

Ingredients
Filling
1/4 cup                                Butter
5 pieces                               Granny Smith Apple, cored and diced
1/2 cup                                White Sugar
1/4 cup                                Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon                         Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon                         Ground Cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons                     Ground Cinnamon
3 Tablespoons                       Flour
2 Tablespoons                       Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons                       Brandy, I used Emperador Light

Crumble Pie
3 cups                                  All Purpose Flour
1 cup                                   White Sugar
1 teaspoon                            Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon                         Salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 cup                                   Frozen Butter, cut in to cubes
1 piece                                 Slightly beaten egg
1 Tablespoon                        Brandy (optional)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.  In a sauce pan, heat butter until melted.  Add the diced apples and continue heating for 2 minutes.  Add white sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.  Continue heating for another 2-3 minutes.  Combine flour, apple cider vinegar and brandy.  Whisk until the flour is already dissolved.  Add the the filling and stir.  Cool completely.

Whisk together, flout, sugar, baking powder and salt until incorporated.  and the butter and egg and using the back of a fork, press it to combine everything and the resulting product resembles that of a crumb or wet sand.  Add the brandy if you find the crumbs a bit dry.  Place the crumbs in the fridge for an hour.

Press the 2/3 of the crumbs in a 9-inch pie pan.  Pour in the cooled filling and top with the remaining crumbs.

Bake in the oven for 40 – 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Cooled on a wire wrack for an hour or so.  Be sure to complete cool the pie before serving.