Dutch Apple Pie

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When I was younger I didn’t really appreciate pie. I was, and always will be, a cake girl, but I have grown to love and appreciate a good pie as well. For Thanksgiving this year I felt like making a pie, and settled on Dutch apple because I love crumb topping, and I love apples. I settled on a recipe that originally came from America’s Test Kitchen, but I found it on The Splendid Table website. I figured I couldn’t go wrong!

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I was right! This pie turned out so so well. I didn’t end up using the crust as stated in the original recipe (posted below) because I had a crust I had made a few times recently that turned out so well I wanted to stick to what I knew worked. The recipes are actually quite similar, but mine uses yogurt while this one calls for sour cream.

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For the crumb topping, I actually increased the amount because in my opinion you can never have too much streusel! I upped it to 8 tablespoons of butter and then increased everything else by 1.33x. I did not think it was too much! I would do this again for sure!

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Dutch Apple Pie
From The Splendid Table
Ingredients

Crust [I did not use this crust recipe, see below]

  • 1/4 cup ice water

  • 4 teaspoons sour cream

  • 1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and frozen for 15 minutes

Filling

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  • 2 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, halved, and sliced 1/4 inch thick

  • 1/2 cup melted vanilla ice cream

  • 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

  • 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping

  • 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
We prefer Golden Delicious or Gala apples here, but Fuji, Braeburn, or Granny Smith varieties also work well. You may substitute 1/2 cup of heavy cream for the melted ice cream, if desired. This pie is best when baked a day ahead of time and allowed to rest overnight. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

FOR THE CRUST: Combine water and sour cream in bowl. Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until butter is size of large peas, about 10 pulses. Add sour cream mixture and pulse until dough forms clumps and no dry flour remains, about 12 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and form into 4-inch disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Wrapped dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)

FOR THE FILLING: Toss all ingredients in large bowl until apples are evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Let chilled dough sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes, before rolling. Roll dough into 12-inch circle on lightly floured counter. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto 9-inch pie plate, letting excess dough hang over edge. Ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with your hand while pressing into plate bottom with your other hand.

Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of plate. Tuck overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge of plate using your fingers. Wrap dough-lined plate loosely in plastic and refrigerate until dough is firm, at least 30 minutes.

FOR THE TOPPING: Stir all ingredients in bowl until no dry spots remain and mixture forms clumps. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Place dough-lined plate on parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Working with 1 large handful at a time, distribute apple mixture in plate, pressing into even layer and filling in gaps before adding more. Take care not to mound apple mixture in center of plate. Pour any remaining liquid from bowl into pie. Break topping (it will harden in refrigerator) into pea-size crumbs and distribute evenly over apple mixture. Pat topping lightly to adhere.

Bake pie on sheet until top is golden brown and paring knife inserted in center meets no resistance, about 1 hour 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let pie cool on wire rack for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. Serve.

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Alternative Crust [This is the crust I used in the pie pictured above]
Yogurt Pie Crust
Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes (I used spelt and it worked beautifully)

  • 1/4 tsp. salt

  • 8 tbsp. (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup full-fat yoghurt (if liquidy, drain it first so it is thick and creamy)

  • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

  • 1/4 cup ice water

Directions
First, make sure your flour and butter are chilled. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt together, then cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender, a food processor, or two knifes, until the butter is evenly distributed with the largest chunks about the size of peas (these chunks of butter are what will give your crust its delightful flakiness). In a small bowl, mix together the ice cold water, cold yoghurt, and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Pour this mixture into the flour. With a wooden spoon, gently mix together, just until you can get it into a ball. It doesn't have to be perfectly mixed, you want to avoid overworking the dough. Flatten the ball into a disc and wrap in plastic or parchment paper and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.