Bake an Apple Pie with Crumble Topping

• Step 1 Gather equipment and ingredients

  Equipment
  Large mixing bowl
  Small mixing bowl
  Measuring spoons and cups
  Pastry cutter or two dinner knives
  Table fork
  Rubber spatula
  9-inch pie pan
  Rolling pin
  Vegetable peeler
  Microplane grater
  Cutting board
  Chef’s knife

  Ingredients for pie crust
  2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  3/4 cup shortening
  5 tablespoons ice water

  Ingredients for pie filling
  8 Rome, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious apples (about 5 lbs.), peeled, cored, halved and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
  Juice of one orange
  Zest of two oranges, about 1-2 teaspoons
  3 tablespoons flour
  1 teaspoon vanilla
  1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  1/4 cup brown sugar

  Ingredients for crumble topping
  3/4 cup all purpose flour
  3/4 cup brown sugar
  1/2 cup oats or diced pecans
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature

• Step 2 Make a pie crust

  Follow this recipe to make enough dough for two 9-inch pie crusts. Spread half the dough evenly to line the entire inside of your pie pan. Wrap and freeze the other half of the dough so you can use it another day. The crumble topping takes the place of the top crust.

  Smart chef tip: Keep it simple and skip the pie crust. Simply place your apple filling in a baking dish and top it with the crumble topping before baking.

• Step 3 Make the apple filling

  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Dump the apple slices into the large mixing bowl and pour in the orange juice. Add the orange zest, flour, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, salt and sugar, and then gently stir the ingredients with a spatula. When everything is well mixed, mound your apple pie filling in the uncooked pie crust.

• Step 4 Make a crumble topping

  Combine the flour, brown sugar, oats or pecans, salt and butter in a small mixing bowl. Use your fingertips or a table fork to mix the ingredients until clumps of butter become the size of small peas.

  Smart chef tip: To keep brown sugar moist, store it in a resealable plastic bag or glass or plastic container with a tight lid. Add a terra cotta brown sugar disc soaked in water for 15 minutes then patted dry to your brown sugar container to absorb any moisture that seeps in. To soften brown sugar that has already hardened, place a slice of bread in your container for a few hours to draw moisture out of the sugar.

• Step 5 Top and bake the pie

  Cover your apple pie filling evenly with the crumble topping, then place the fully assembled pie on the middle oven rack. Bake your apple pie for 45-55 minutes, or until apples become tender and the topping turns golden brown.

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