Sky High Apple Crumb Pie

There is big beautiful 30 year old apple tree at my parents house that produces the best Winesap apples there ever could be.  Each Fall, for the past few years, my mom would go out to the tree and pick bags and bags full of apples and bring them into the house to peel, slice, and turn into apple pie.  Now my mom loved her pies, especially apple, but there was no way that my family could possibly eat as many pies and she produced with all those apples.  My mother was not only a funny woman (we will get to this later), but she was also a kind woman, always thinking about and doing what she could for other people. Once the pie production line was emptied out and all the pies were golden brown we would load them up into the car and go deliver them to whatever friends and family were home to receive them.

So today on my mothers birthday, I present you my friends and family with this Sky High Apple Crumb Pie.  I personally do not really care for apple pie, or baked apples in general, but today is a special day.  So whether you like apple pie or not, raise a fork and try this pie with me. Because I always did what my mother told me to and she always said, “Come on, eat it Amber, it will make your boobs grow” and well, who couldn’t use a little boost in that department.    Happy Birthday Mom, I love and miss you more and more each day.

By the way, the recipe for crust posted below is my all time favorite pie crust recipe.  It is flaky and delicious!  The pie, it wasn’t so bad itself.  I will definitely be using this recipe again.

Sky High Apple Crumb Pie

Crust Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
5 tablespoons water, separated

Filling Ingredients
3 1/4 pounds apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Topping Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions
Make crust:  In a large mixing bowl combine flour, salt, and sugar.  Mix well, then cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.   In a small bowl, combine egg, vinegar, and 4 tablespoons of water. Whisk together, then add gradually to flour mixture, stirring with a fork. Mix until dough forms a ball. If necessary, add one more tablespoon of water. Divide dough in half and flatten each half into a disk, wrap each half in saran wrap and allow to rest in refrigerator until ready to roll out.  Note- you will have enough dough leftover to make another crust.  You can either make a 2 crust pie or save the other crust for another time. 

Mix topping:  Blend first 5 ingredients in processor. Add chilled butter cubes; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles wet sand.  Store mixture in refrigerator until ready to top pie.

Make filling:  Mix all ingredients in large bowl and gently stir to evenly coat the apple slices.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F.

Roll Crust: Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator and roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish.  Trim overhang to 1/2 inch; turn edge under and crimp decoratively.

To assemble pie:  Toss filling to redistribute juices; transfer to crust, mounding in center. Pack topping over and around apples. Bake pie on baking sheet until topping is golden, about 40 minutes (cover top with foil if browning too quickly). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until apples in center are tender when pierced and filling is bubbling thickly at edges, about 45 minutes longer. Cool until warm, about 1 hour.

~makes 1 apple pie, 8 servings~

Recipe inspired by Allrecipes  and Epicurious

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