Pie Crumb Food

CRUMB TOPPING RECIPE

Steps:

• Grate cold butter into a large bowl. Alternately, you can dice it small.
• Add sugar: use all brown or all white or a combination to make 2/3 cup. Use whatever combination you like (I like using 1/3 cup each brown and white).
• Add flour and then, using a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
• Use crumble as recipe directs, on a fruit pie or on muffins or coffee cake. Bake as directed in recipe.

APPLE CRUMBLE PIE

Steps:

• For the dough: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with pea-sized bits of butter. Add the egg mixture and pulse until the dough just comes together. (If the dough is very dry, add up to 1 extra tablespoon cold water.) Remove the dough, gently pat it into a round, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, put the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Peel and core the apples; cut each in half, and cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the apples and brown sugar to the bowl with the lemon juice, and toss.
• Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the sugared apples and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes.
• Strain the apples in a colander set over a medium bowl to catch all the juices. Shake the colander to extract as much liquid as possible. Return the juice to the skillet and simmer over medium heat until it has thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
• Toss the apples with the thickened juice, cinnamon, salt, cloves, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside to cool completely. (The cooled filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 6 months.)
• For the streusel topping: Whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers until it has been absorbed. Mix in the almonds.
• To assemble and bake the pie: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and place a baking sheet on it. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Layer it between pieces of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
• Ease the dough round into a 9-inch pie pan. Fold and crimp the edges as desired. Add the filling, and spread it out to make an even layer. Squeeze handfuls of the streusel topping, and drop clumps of it on top of the filling to completely cover it.
• Bake the pie on the preheated baking sheet until the crust and streusel are golden brown, about 1 hour. Let it cool on a cooling rack for at least 3 hours before serving. (The pie keeps well, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours or refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

CLASSIC APPLE CRUMB PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl. Rub the butter pieces into the flour using your fingers until pea-size pieces form. Drizzle in the vinegar and ice water; stir gently with a fork to combine. If the dough doesn't hold together when you squeeze it, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk; wrap tightly. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch round. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang, then tuck the overhanging dough under itself; crimp the edges with a fork. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Meanwhile, make the crumb topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Rub the butter into the mixture with your fingers until no longer floury and crumbs form. Freeze until ready to use.
• Make the filling: Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the lowest oven rack; preheat to 400˚. Mix the apples, melted butter, both sugars, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Spoon the filling into the chilled pie crust. Pat the crumb mixture on top.
• Bake the pie on the hot baking sheet until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚ and bake until the apples are completely soft when pierced with a paring knife, 60 to 80 more minutes. (If the topping is getting too dark, cover loosely with foil.) Transfer the pie to a rack to cool completely.

CRUMB TOPPING

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup light-brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and cinnamon.
• Cut 1 1/2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With your hands, work in butter pieces, until large clumps form. Divide mixture in half; freeze in plastic storage bags.

PIE CRUMB

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F.
• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until well mixed.
• Add the butter and water and paddle on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.
• Spread the clusters on a parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pan. Bake for 25 minutes, breaking them up occasionally. The crumbs should be golden brown and still slightly moist to the touch at that point; they will dry and harden as they cool.
• Let the crumbs cool completely before using in a recipe or eating. Stored in an airtight container, the crumbs will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.
• Pie crumbs are used in the Apple Pie Layer Cake (page 157).

APPLE CRUMB PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place sliced apples in a large bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice, if desired. In a small bowl, mix together white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over apples and toss until apple slices are evenly coated. Stir in raisins and walnuts (optional). Transfer mixture into pastry shell.
• In a small bowl ,mix together 1/2 cup flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Cover top loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

APPLE & ALMOND CRUMBLE PIE

Steps:

• First, make the crumble. Tip the flour, ground almonds, sugar and a pinch of salt into a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingers until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the flaked almonds and chill until needed. Can be prepared up to two days ahead and chilled.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray inside. Peel, core quarter and slice the apples, then tip into a bowl with the sugar, mixed spice and flour. Toss well and set aside. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface until it's large enough to line a 20-22cm pie dish. Line the dish with the pastry, then trim and crimp the edge. Alternatively, re-roll the pastry trimmings into an 80cm-long strip, then cut into three thin, long strips, and arrange into a 1cm-wide plait. Arrange the plait around the edge of the dish, and brush with some beaten egg.
• Spoon the apples into the base, then scatter over the crumble. Bake on the hot tray for 35-40 mins until the topping is toasted and the pastry is deep golden. Leave to stand for 10 mins, then serve warm with cream, custard or ice cream.

APPLE CRUMBLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.)
• Arrange apple slices in unbaked pie shell. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples.
• Mix 1/3 cup sugar with flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Spoon mixture over apples.
• Bake in preheated oven until apples are soft and top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.