Apple Pie with a Pecan Cinnamon Crust

Messy but tasty, a bit like life

What's your favorite apple dessert? RL loves Crispy Apple Crisp while I'm more a fan of Apple Crostata. Admittedly we're both fond of all manner of apple dishes, but currently this one-crust Apple Pie with a generous topping of streusel ranks high on our list of favorite treats.

Some would call this a Dutch Apple Pie, others might argue it is a French Apple Pie. Whatever! this one-crust apple pie mounded high with a nutty, cinnamon streusel is just plain delicious. 

Apples claim star billing in this non-fussy, uncomplicated dessert. Its tantalizing appley aroma filled the entire house as the pie baked, stirring appetites and expectations alike. Letting the pie cool enough to set the filling challenged my patience; it smelled so good! Unable to wait until fully cooled, I sneaked a spoonful, one single bite, to savor the smooth, sweet fruit and crunchy topping. Mmmmm, yes! the heady, sweet flavor called for a generous slice... or two. No whipped cream or ice cream needed. The pecan streusel topping contributes a tasty, toothsome contrast to the delicious filling, but really, this is all about the apples. 

Are you tempted? Go ahead, give this pie a try and let me know your results. Or check out My Recipe Index for some other apple recipes.

Cinnamon Crust French Apple Pie

For the Pie & Filling:

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (ready-made or your favorite recipe)

8 cups cooking apples, a mix of tart & a few sweet

2 TBS lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 TBS all-purpose flour (or 1-1/2 TBS cornstarch)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp nutmeg

For the Streusel Topping:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

6 TBS (3 oz) very cold butter, 

Prepare the Pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 415 F. Place a single unbaked pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan and set aside.
2. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples; set aside in a large bowl. Sprinkle the slices with the lemon juice and toss to coat.
3. In a small bowl, add the remaining filling ingredients and mix to combine. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples; toss to coat.
4. Spoon the apple mixture over the unbaked pie crust, mounding the apples higher in the center of the pie shell and arranging to fill any gaps or holes.

Prepare the Streusel:

1. Mix the ingredients together in a medium bowl, working with your fingers until crumbly (or give them a few quick bursts in a food processor). 
2. Sprinkle carefully and evenly over the mounded apples in the pie crust. Lightly pat smooth to firm somewhat.

Bake the Pie:

1. Place the pie pan on a larger cookie or baking sheet; the filling is likely to ooze over the edge. (almost guaranteed!)
2. Bake the pie in the preheated 425 F oven for 12 minutes.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and continue to bake for 35-45 minutes longer. The apples will be tender with juices oozing and bubbling in the center of the pie and around the rim.
4. Cool on a wire baking rack to set the filling. Cut into wedges and serve, with or without ice cream or whipped cream.

Savory Hand Pies with Three Fillings

Random thoughts as I played with more filling combinations for Savory Hand Pies and a Minty Cucumber Sour Cream Sauce.

Photo: Savory Sausage Hand Pie with a side of Minty Cucumber Sour Cream Sauce

More Savory Hand Pies? Well, why not? my Asparagus Mushroom Hand Pies were a success (after tweaking the recipe and adding some lemon zest) and I was on a roll with some new filling combinations to try. Once again frozen pie dough made for a quick and easy baking session. 

Asparagus starred as a repeat ingredient, of course, since it was local and fresh. This time I severed the tips, halved each thick spear lengthwise and then cut them into short pieces. Tossed with oil and minced garlic, all of the pieces were sauted in a cast iron skillet until softened and lightly browned. Sprinkled with lemon zest they were tempting to nibble on "as is".

Caramelized onions should add a sweet/savory backnote to each of the three filling combinations. The thin slices of white onion cooked low and slow in a dash of oil and butter until lightly caramelized. Some recipes call for a finish of brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, but this batch did not require any flavor boost.

Sweet Italian pork - crumbled, cooked and drained - joined the party as a savory meat option. Yum! a flavor-packed spicy sausage, asparagus and onion mixture would be perfect for a cool-weather Spring treat.
   

Sausage and kale pair well tastewise in any season, so a bowl of braised kale joined shredded cheeses and toasted pine nuts as the remaining filling choices. 

Left column: skillet roasted asparagus, caramelized onions pies topped with mozzarella.
Center column: braised kale, Italian sausage, caramelized onion pies topped with mozzarella.
Right column: all of the above ingredients plus lemon zest and pine nuts.

All three of the fillings rated high marks, though my personal favorite was the everything hand pie. I love my pizza slices loaded with ingredients and evidently prefer hand pies the same way. That said, next time I'll simplify the ingredient mix, experiment with new flavor combos, and make a sweet hand pie or two for RL to enjoy.   

The simple asparagus/caramelized onion filling surprised me with its overly sweet flavor punch. A quickly mixed faux tzatziki sauce tamed the sweetness, balancing sweet and savory with some light flavor pops. The same sauce boosted the appeal of the kale/sausage/onion filling.

...and what do you do with leftover spoonfuls of filling? I tossed it all into a ramekin for a delicious baked snack. Once again... Yum!

Minty Cucumber Sour Cream Sauce - faux Tzatziki

1/2 English cucumber, shredded and wrung dry in a tea towel

2 green onions, green and white parts minced

2 Tbs fresh mint leaves, minced

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 cup sour cream 

1 Tbs lemon juice

dashes of green Tabasco, to taste (optional)

Asparagus Mushroom Hand Pies

It's Spring! and that means local asparagus is finally available. Grill it, roast it, steam it, or bake it; serve it plain or sauced with hollandaise. Mmmmm, I do love that vegetable during the few months it's available. An asparagus and mushroom galette spotted at a local bakery counter looked intriguing, so I purchased one as a taste treat. Gulp, $3.99 for a single-serving little pastry! 

The crust was crisp and flakey on top while the bottom tended toward soggy. The galette's generous mound of filling underperformed on taste, bland and lacking much flavor beyond the earthy essence of asparagus and mushrooms. Where was the punchy tang of goat cheese? "Hah!" I thought, "I could do this at home and pop that flavor."

Savory pies tempt me to indulge; sweet pies, not so much. What's more satisfying than a savory little homemade pie, it's flaky crust filled with seasonal vegetables and complementary seasonings? Answer: the same pie made with frozen pie crust dough. But that's just me, facing reality because I'm missing the requisite pie-crust making gene. No matter, a reliable red box of Pillsbury Pie Crusts had my back for this adventure.

Green onions, fresh parsley, dried tarragon, lemon peel and Parmesan cheese joined the basic filling ingredients of asparagus, mushrooms and feta cheese. Sour cream plus one egg added a moist binder to the mix. One circle of pie crust yielded four irregular squares, and the Hand Pie adventure was ready to roll.

The short version of the recipe is:
       Cook down the mushrooms
       Soften the asparagus
       Combine the filling ingredients
       Fill dough squares, shape, add egg wash for shine
       Bake at 400 F until golden brown

The first hand pies emerged from the oven with light, crisp crusts and mildly seasoned filling, an improvement over that purchased galette, but still not quite there flavorwise. Neighbor Marcie, recruited as a taste tester, suggested adding lemon zest, an acidic element to better balance the heavier mushroom and asparagus. Yes! swapping a lot of lemon zest for a little lemon powder made a subtle but noticeable difference in the second batch. Thanks, Marcie. Now I'm eager to play with some other Spring ingredients and flavorings in more hand pie or galette experiments. Sigh, elastic waistbands could become necessary wardrobe adjustments.

Asparagus Mushroom Hand Pies

Yields 4 individual hand pies

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned & thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon dried tarragon
5-6 asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
6 green onions, green and white parts, chopped
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon powdered lemon peel grated zest of 1 lemon 
1 premade pie crust (Pillsbury recommended)
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) goat cheese ( Greek feta), crumbled
beaten whole egg wash to brush dough
2 Tablespoons fresh Parmesan shreds

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet and saute the mushrooms until they brown. Add the pepper, vinegar and tarragon; cook until all liquid evaporates. Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl to cool.

Snap off & discard the woody stalk end of each asparagus spear. Keep the tender heads intact and chop the rest of the stalks into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces. Place in a microwave-safe container with a Tablespoon of water; cover and nuke for 1 minute or until barely tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl use a fork to whisk together the egg and sour cream. Add the green onions, parsley and lemon zest; stir to combine. Add the cooled mushrooms and asparagus. Gently stir to combine, coating all ingredients with the eggy sour cream.

Unroll a single piecrust sheet onto a lightly floured surface; roll out to 1/8-inch thickness (if necessary) and cut into four squares, roughly 5.5-inches per side. (Use a straightedge if neatness matters to you - I went irregular and rustic).

Onto each pastry square place 1/4 of the filling mixture, typically a mounded 1/2 cup. Top each pie with 1 Tablespoon goat cheese crumbles. Fold each pastry corner onto the center of the filling, keeping the tips apart, and crimp the outside edges slightly. Brush the exposed dough lightly with some beaten egg wash and sprinkle with 1/2 Tablespoon fresh Parmesan shreds.

Place the hand pies on a silpat or parchment-covered baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the dough. Preheat the oven to 400 F while the pies chill.

To bake, place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated 400 F oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown. Rotate the baking sheet after 10 minutes to encourage even browning. Remove the hand pies to a wire baking rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Almond Crostata

Blink! my eyes flew open and I could tell it was far too early to be awake. The bedroom was dimly lit with the reflected glow of city lights bouncing back off of the heavy cloud cover, but at zero dark early the sun wouldn't rise for several hours yet. The house creaked, the husband snored, the clock loudly ticked away with metronome precision, and there was no way I could fall back to sleep. Sigh, now what? I wandered downstairs to the kitchen, looking for a distraction, any distraction, and found one in this bright red package. Dessert for breakfast... why not?

Gasp! a store-bought pie crust? My secret is out, it's just one of the quick-fix items I keep on hand for emergencies like unexpected company... or in this case, a sudden craving for something sweet. Emergency stores are found all over my kitchen and galley, in cabinets, fridge and freezer. I love to cook from scratch, but it's reassuring to know some versatile convenience items are also available, ready to turn into something delicious on very short notice. 

Was I just being a considerate wife, trying not to wake RL... or was I too focused on consuming a fast, sweet after-midnight treat? Whatever my excuse, that red package quickly launched a rustic apple crostata project. I took a few shortcuts, didn't refer to a recipe, and luckily it didn't matter. My early morning wedge was just what I craved, and RL enthusiastically enjoyed several servings later in the day.

Step One: Roll out one round of piecrust, thinly spread mango jam on top leaving a scant 2-inch border, and sprinkle a handful of sliced almonds over the jam. 

Photo: piecrust spread with jam and topped with sliced almonds

Step Two: Peel, core and thinly slice 3 very large apples for the filling. (I used 1 Granny Smith and 2 HoneyCrisps, because that's what I had on hand) Mix together some sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and more almonds. Add to the apple slices and toss to coat. 

Photo: thin apple slices tossed with sugar, spices and lemon zest

Step Three: Mound the apple filling filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Press firmly and move slices around as needed to even out the fruit. Gently fold the border over the apples, folding and pleating as needed to form a circle. (Optional: before you bake, brush the finished dough edge with egg white and sprinkle with sugar for a pretty crust)

Step Four: Bake in a preheated 425 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Photo: the first slice of the baked apple almond crostata

Apple Almond Crostata

dough for a single 9" piecrust, purchased or from your favorite recipe

3-4 TBS mango jam (or guava, apricot, etc.)

1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided

3-4 apples

2 TBS sugar

2 TBS AP flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 TBS grated fresh lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Prepare the dough according to package directions or your recipe.

Spread jam evenly over the surface, leaving a border of 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Sprinkle half of the almonds over the jam.

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and the remaining half of the almonds. Mix thoroughly.

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Add them to the sugar mix and toss or stir to coat each slice. 

Cover the dough with the apples, again leaving a border of 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Pat firmly and rearrange slices as needed to fill in the gaps.

Fold the border over the filling, folding and pleating as needed to form a circle. The center will remain open, exposing the apple filling.

Bake in a preheated 425 oven until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender. Place on a baking rack to cool until the juices have time to set up a bit.

Options and changes:

1: Before baking, brush the folded top crust with beaten egg white and sprinkle lightly with sugar for an attractive, sparkly finish.

2: Add the last half of the almonds to the apples. Add 1/2 stick cold butter to the sugar mixture and cut in or pulse in processor until crumbly. Sprinkle the crumbles over the top of the apple slices before folding up the dough for a crunchy topping.

Apple Cheese Torte

This is a dessert I shared with our new neighbors M & D just before we left home and moved aboard. I wish I had taken the time to prepare it last night when N & L came by for an evening visit. But I didn't. Instead I filled my morning in the boatyard with fiddly little projects, then we relaunched around noon and brought the boat back to the moorage. One busy thing followed another and I ran drove to the store to buy dessert instead of baking. We enjoyed the purchased cheesecake, but Oh My! my tastebuds craved another slice of that apple creation instead.  

Apple Cheese Torte offers a decadent layering of spiced apples over a creamy custard encased in a shortbread crust. Top that with a sprinkling of sliced almonds and you have something wonderful, the kind of dessert where you want more than one thin wedge. Any one of the layers would be tasty enough by itself; I'm especially fond of the shortbread crust and RL prefers the custardy apple filling. Give it a try and see what you think.

The recipe comes from an old Jr. League cookbook that sports a sturdy, practical design. It stands up by itself and both cover and pages are nearly stainproof and spatterproof. That's a bonus in my galley.

Apple Cheese Torte

Recipe from "Applehood and Motherpie",  by the Junior League of Rochester NY, 1981

Yield: 9-inch torte

Crust

1 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

Filling

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

¼ cup sugar

1-teaspoon vanilla (or a mix of vanilla & almond extract)

1 egg

5 to 6 baking apples, peeled and thinly sliced (or 4 really big ones)

1-teaspoon cinnamon

sprinkle of lemon juice

¼ cup sliced almonds

Crust

1. Cream together the butter and sugar. (Use a mixer or food processor.)
2. Add vanilla and flour. Blend well.
3. Press mixture into the bottom and three-quarters of the way up the sides of an 8-or-9-inch springform pan.

Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. 
2. Beat cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar, vanilla and egg. Pour evenly over the crust.
3. Combine sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon and a little lemon juice. Toss to mix well.
4. Pour apple mixture over top of cheese mixture and sprinkle with sliced almonds*. 
5. Using a spoon, push crust down on sides even with apples. Place the pan on a center rack in the preheated 450 F oven and bake as directed below.
6. Serve warm or refrigerated. (But let it set up for several minutes before removing the ring.) 

Temperature: 450 F

Time: 10 minutes, then

Temperature: 400 F

Time: 25 minutes

Baking and Serving Notes: 

• *Sliced almonds tend to burn at high temp, so you might wait and add them after you reduce the oven temperature to 400 F.
• Springform pans often leak, and this can be a juicy torte before it sets up, so place a baking sheet lined with foil on the rack below to catch any drips. You'll thank me for this tip when it is time to clean up.
• RL thinks it’s especially good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside, and I’m fond of a spoon of soft-whipped cream, but this dessert looks tempting and tastes terrific all by itself.