Apple pie is one of the staple sweets in my household. The tangy sharpness brings sweet memories of eating pie around kitchen tables and counters. Apple crumble does hold an air of superiority, for the nutty taste and crumbly bits of the crumble and crust add a bit of crunch to the sugar-drenched apples. 

A Dutch apple crumble pie is different from an apple crumble pie, for it is a traditional dessert with origins in the Netherlands, dating as far back as the 1800s. The Dutch apple pie has a loose top, with a stronger crumble, typically made with oats (which I have not used) and streusel mixed with spices. 

My grandfather, Opa, loves to bake sweets, and one of them is an apple pie. He began to bake pies when my mother was little, leading to a huge revelation that her father had the ability to bake. Every time I visit the Netherlands, a warm and gooey piece of apple pie sits on my grandparent’s counter. 

I began my COVID baking journey with an apple pie. It was an easy thing to bake, and it helped that apple pies are delicious. My parents and sister were in disbelief that the kitchen wasn’t burnt down when I pulled the apple pie out of the oven, marking a memorable moment that I baked a flavorful and edible dessert. 

Since that first successful bake, apple crumble pies have been a constant for me to bake. There are multiple variations to making a tasty apple crumble pie, all which are encouraged to explore and test. I didn’t include oats in my recipe, and instead substituted pecans for a stronger taste. 

Ingredients for Pie Crust:

• 2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
• ½ tablespoon granulated sugar 
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ lb COLD unsalted butter (2 sticks) diced (about ¼” pieces)
• 7 to 8 tablespoons ice water 

Ingredients for Pie Filling:

• 2 ½ pounds Granny Smith apples (6 medium apples or 7 cups)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ¼ cup water
• cup granulated sugar

Ingredients for Crumble Topping (also known as Streusel):

• 1 cup All Purpose flour
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon granulated sugar 
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon 
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Half a lemon or lime 
• 8 tablespoon unsalted butter (room temperature)
• ½ cup chopped pecans 

Pie Crust Instructions:

1. Whisk together flour, sugar and salt together. 
2. Add cold diced butter and mix together (with hands or food processor) until it forms pea sized pieces. Mixture should be dry and powdery. 
3. Add 7 to 8 tablespoons of ice water until the dough clumps together. Do not add too much water to avoid it being sticky. 
4. Roll the dough into two balls and flatten into two disks. Wrap each disk separately in plastic wrap. Do not knead the dough! 

Pie Filling Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with two racks- one rack on the bottom and one in the middle.
2. Roll out pie dough to fit the pan. (12” pan is recommended). Crimp the edges if wanted.
3. Peel and core the apples. Make the slices ¼” thickness.Place the apples in a mixing bowl and stir in the cinnamon and lemon.
4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour then let it simmer for a minute. BE SURE TO WHISK CONSTANTLY. Whisk in water and sugar, bringing it to a boil. Reduce heat and continue the simmer for 3 minutes, continuously whisking. Pour the sauce over the apples and be sure to coat each apple slice. You can place or pile the apples over the crust. 
5. Crumble Topping Recipe: Stir together dry ingredients (flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt). Add butter and work it into the dry ingredients with hands until it forms pea sized crumbles. Stir in the pecans, then evenly spread over the pie.
6. Place the pie on the middle rack and a baking sheet on the bottom rack (to catch all the butter and drips from the pie). Bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes, if the top is browning too fast, place foil over the top. Wait for one hour before serving.