Apple Crumble Pie is INSANELY delicious. Seriously, seriously, seriously good. The pastry bottom, apple cinnamon filling and buttery crumble topping give you a very special dessert that is going to be a firm family favourite. I'm hopelessly in love already.
Comfort food undoubtedly is at the heart of my cooking and this Apple Pie screams, shouts and squeals it.
Consequently this recipe has excited me beyond all expectations and I am extremely glad of it. It's great to feel truly excited at my age, especially by a pie.
Recipe
I have given the ingredients here for making your own pastry. But a premade shop bought packet of shortcrust pastry will absolutely do fabulously. If you buy the ready rolled then it's an even easier shindig.
The recipe requires an 8 " pie dish that is at least 4 cm deep.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Eating Apples - I have made this with Braeburn and Granny Smith Apples and they are the two I would recommend. You could use Bramleys, and I will later on the year, but you would need to add more sugar as they are much tarter than eating apples.
Caster Sugar - unrefined or refined caster sugar is what is listed in the recipe but granulated would work too.
Mixed Spice - ground. You could use ground cinnamon too.
Plain Flour - Self raising flour won't work here because you don't want your pastry to rise but you could use it in the crumble mixture and to mix into the apples.
Egg - beaten to brush on the top of your pastry.
Butter - salted or unsalted is fine but baking spread won't work to make your pastry or crumble as it is too soft.
Ready made Shortcrust Pastry - optional if you don't want the bother of making your own.
To make this pie gluten free use gluten free flour in the pastry, crumble and when mixing it into the apples.
Method
Scroll down to the bottom for the complete recipe card with exact ingredients.
- Preheat your oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4
- Make the crumble by rubbing flour, sugar and small cubes of butter together in a bowl with your fingertips until they form breadcrumbs and are clumping together a little. I do this in my food processor. Simply blitz and pulse until breadcrumbs form and then clumps. Clumping your crumble mix brings out a whole other level of deliciousness. Top Tippity Tip
- If you are going to make your own pastry then we will begin here. If you're not scroll down a few steps.
- I make mine in my food processor because it is easier and less messy.
- You can make it by hand in a bowl. Click this link for the method to make your own pastry by hand. Though use the ingredient quantities included in the recipe card below.
- Blitz the mixture until it resembles sandy breadcrumbs.
- Add 5-6 tbsp of cold water and blitz on pulse until it starts to lump together into a chunky dough.
- I then take the lid off and squeeze a bit of the dough to see if it sticks together nicely. If it does I tip it out, squeeze and lightly knead until it forms a nice soft circle of dough. If it doesn't stick freely together I would add another tbsp of water and check again.
- Lightly flour your surface and roll out the dough. I don't bother with chilling. If you have a 500 grams block of ready made shortcrust then do the same. The dough should be about a one pound coin thickness and level throughout. Keep checking that the pastry isn't sticking as you roll.
- Line your pie tin with the pastry using your rolling pin to help you lift it centrally over the dish. I check that the dough shape is big enough for the pie dish before by gently placing the dish on top of the pastry and looking at it to gauge if it will be wide enough to cover the sides of the pie dish too.
- Do the same if you are using ready rolled pre made shortcrust.
- Place it centrally over the dish and press it lightly to fit.
- Trim the overhang off with a sharp knife so that the pastry does not tear and it sits on the pie dish rim.
- Pierce the pastry on the bottom of the dish with a fork all over and line with baking paper ( not greaseproof) and fill with baking beans or similar (rice, dried pulses). Follow this link for how to bake a pie crust blind.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Then carefully remove baking beans and baking paper and bake for another 5 minutes naked. Set aside.
- Whilst your pie crust is baking peel, core and slice your apples into 1 cm or so slices. Place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Scatter over ½ tsp of mixed spice, 2 tbsp of flour and 80 grams of sugar. Mix the whole lot very well together so that the flour coats the apple pieces well.
- Roll out the excess pastry into a long strip and cut vertically into 1 cm strips.
- Plait three strips of pastry to make a plait. Repeat until you have plaits that will reach fully around the pie dish.
- You can make anything really out of the excess pastry. It's just for a bit of fancy pants decoration.
- When the pastry case is baked fill it with your apples and press them gently down.
- Secure plaits onto the pie rim with water brushed over the surface you want the plait to stick to.
- Scatter the crumble mix on top so that it covers all the apples well. Leave the pastry plaits clear of the crumble.
- Brush the pastry plaits with beaten egg.
- Bake for 40 minutes until the whole thing is gorgeously golden brown baby.
What Do I Serve With Apple Crumble Pie?
I serve traditionally with vanilla custard, vanilla ice cream or just plain velvety double cream (heavy cream if you're in America).
Keep it simple is my advice and let the pie be the fabulous pie.
If you like this pudding then you will probably like these recipes
Apple Crumble Pie
This is Apple Crumble Pie is a pie of comfort and joy. The perfect hybrid of crumble and pie deliciously held together with cinnamon spiced apple slices and family love. A pie to come home to.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 300 grams plain flour
- 150 grams unsalted butter cold cut into small cubes
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 5-6 tbsp water
- 500 grams shortcrust pastry shop bought optional
Apple Filling
- 7 medium eating apples braeburn, granny smiths
- 50 grams caster sugar
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 medium egg beaten
Crumble Topping
- 100 grams plain flour
- 70 grams unsalted butter
- 80 grams caster sugar
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4
-
Make the crumble by rubbing 100 grams flour, 80 grams sugar and 70 grams butter together in a bowl with your fingertips until they form breadcrumbs and are clumping together a little. I do this in my food processor. Simply blitz and pulse until breadcrumbs form and then go clumpy. Set aside.
-
If you are going to make your own pastry then we will begin here. I make mine in my food processor because it is easier and less messy.
-
Blitz 300 grams plain flour, 2 tbsp of caster sugar and 150 grams of butter cubes in the food processor until it resembles sandy breadcrumbs.
If making by hand then use the rubbing in method to combine the ingredients into breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix into a dough with a wide bladed knife.
-
Add 5-6 tbsp of cold water and blitz on pulse until it starts to lump together into a chunky dough.
-
Take the lid off and give a bit of the dough a squeeze to see if it sticks together nicely. If it does I tip it out and squeeze and lightly knead until it forms a nice soft circle of dough. If it doesn't stick freely together I would add another of tbsp of water, blitz and check again.
-
Lightly flour your surface and roll out the dough. If you have a 500 grams block of ready made shortcrust then do the same. The dough should be about a pound coin thickness and level throughout. Keep checking that the pastry isn't sticking as you roll.
-
Line your pie tin with the pastry using your rolling pin to help you lift it centrally over the dish. I check that the dough shape is big enough for the pie dish by gently placing the dish on top of the pastry and looking at it to gauge if it will be wide enough to cover the sides of the pie dish.
-
If you are using ready rolled pastry then line your pie dish too.
-
Place it centrally over the dish and press it lightly to fit. Use the rolling pin to support it as you move it to the dish.
-
Trim the overhang off with a sharp knife so that the pastry does not tear.
-
Pierce the pastry on the bottom of the dish with a fork all over and line with baking paper and fill with baking beans or similar (rice, dried pulses). Bake for 15 minutes. Then carefully remove baking beans and baking paper and bake for another 5 minutes. Set aside.
-
Whilst your pie crust is baking peel, core and slice your apples into 1 cm slices. Place them in a large mixing bowl.
-
Scatter over ½ tsp of mixed spice, 2 tbsp of flour and 80 grams of sugar. Mix the whole lot very well together so that the flour coats the apple pieces well.
-
Roll out the excess pastry into a long strip and cut vertically into 1 cm strips.
-
Plait three strips of pastry to make a plait. Repeat until you have plaits that will reach fully around the pie dish.
-
When the pastry case is baked fill it with your apples and press them gently down.
-
Secure plaits onto the pie rim with water brushed over the surface you want the plait to stick to.
-
Scatter all the crumble mix on top so that it covers all the apples well. Leave the pastry plaits clear of the crumble.
-
Brush the pastry plaits with beaten egg.
-
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the whole thing is gorgeously golden brown baby.
-
Apply To Cat Who Got The Cream Face
Recipe Notes
I serve traditionally with vanilla custard, vanilla ice cream or just plain velvety double cream (heavy cream if you're in America).
Use shop bought ready rolled shortcrust to speed up the recipe and make it almost an easypeasy assembly job.
To make this pie gluten free use gluten free flour in the pastry, crumble and when mixing it into the apples.
All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.
Do let me know how you got on in the comments below or come on over and join me on my social media pages. I would love to see you there. x
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