Apple-Cranberry Crumb Pie
Excerpted from Perfect Pies by Michele Stuart Copyright © 2011 by Michele Stuart. Excerpted by permission of Ballantine, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
- Servings: Makes one 9-inch pie, 6 to 8 slices.
This recipe is from Perfect Pies, The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes from America's Pie Baking Champion, by Michele Stuart.
In the author's headnote to the recipe she wrote, "Unlike fresh cranberries, which can be tart, dried cranberries provide an extra layer of sweetness to the classic apple pie. This dessert is a great finale to a pork roast dinner." It would also make a wonderful alternative to a traditional apple pie for any holiday meal.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Traditional Pastry Piecrust dough from Perfect Pies or your favorite piecrust dough, enough for a single-crust pie
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (to glaze the crimped pie edges)
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purposes flour
- 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Dash of ground nutmeg
- 8 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
Directions
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter by "cutting it in" to the flour until the butter forms small, pea-size pieces. Hold aside while you assemble the pie.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- To prepare the pie shell, on a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 10-inch circle. Wrap any remaining dough tightly in plastic wrap and reserve it in the refrigerator for future use for up to 5 days. Fold the circle in half, place it in a 9-inch pie plate so that the edges of the circle drop over the rim, and unfold the dough to completely cover the pie plate. Using your thumb and index finger, crimp the edges of the pie shell.
- Brush the edges of the pie shell with heavy cream to create a perfect, golden brown finish. Set the pie shell to the side while you make the filling.
- To prepare the filling, in a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Place the apples in a large bowl and toss them with the sugar mixture, making sure all of the apples are thoroughly coated. Add the dried cranberries, mixing well to ensure they are fully incorporated into the apple mixture. Place the apple mixture in the pie shell, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar crumb topping over the apple-cranberry filling, covering it completely.
- To bake, place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and continue baking for 40 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Insert a cake tester or a knife into the pie to check the firmness of the apples. If the apples are still firm, continue baking the pie until they soften. The perfect apple pie will have visible juices bubbling around the topping. If the topping is getting too brown and the apples are not done yet,
- Cover the pie with aluminum foil to allow the apples to bake a bit longer without browning the topping too much.
- Transfer the pie plate to a wire cooling rack and allow the pie to cool and set for 1½ hours before serving.
- Apple pies are best served either at room temperature or warmed at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Apple-Cranberry Crumb pie will keep at room temperature overnight and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
