Juicy Apple Pie with Pecan Streusel

I think I don’t need to introduce this scrumptious American classic: lightly sweetened pastry dough, filled with lots of caramelized apples – Juicy Apple Pie with Pecan Streusel.

My boyfriend’s birthday classic is Dutch Appeltaart with Crème Anglaise. However, sometimes I push a bit and convince him to try something new. And guess what, he never regrets. As my friend has told me, the most important is to be served and spoiled, the result is just a satisfying reward.

Anyway, this crunchy apple pie was featured in the episode of Martha Bakes, prepared by a great Chef Melody Farrar. She made 6 individual tarts, I went for 1 large round of 26cm instead. I love everything about this juicy apple pie: crispy sweetened buttermilk crust, your favourable mixture of cooked and flavoured apples, accompanied by stunning pecan streusel and topped with some cinnamon sugar and vanilla ice cream on top. Heavenly!

This pie is suitable for kids from age of 3, because of a possible egg white intolerance and presence of allergens: nuts. Offer as an afternoon’s dessert, and let’s pretend that it is all healthy, even with the ice cream. Yummy!

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes + 1 hour chill of the dough

Take the frozen butter for The Buttermilk Crust out of the freezer and let it ease until processing.

The Apple Filling

In a large mixing bowl put all the apples and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Stir in caster sugar, 50g of cane sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, cinnamon, salt, vanilla extract and cream.

In a large non sticking frying pan melt butter on medium heat. Add 50g of cane sugar and all the apples. Let it simmer until the mixture thickens, for about 4 minutes. Stir.

Afterwards, let it cool down and refrigerate until processing.

The Buttermilk Crust:

In a large mixing bowl place flour with baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix.

Add butter and start mixing until the butter has crumbly texture.

Next, start pouring buttermilk, few at a time. Continue adding until the dough comes together. When you are almost there, transfer the dough onto a sheet of cling foil. Divide into 2 parts and wrap it tight. As you go, press it with hands into a round form. Freeze until well chilled, for about 30 minutes.

The Pecan Streusel

In a small mixing bowl place flour, sugar, butter and pecans. Mix with your hands until you have a crumbly texture. Refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Presentation

Sieve your working board and roller with some flour and take out the first half of the pastry dough. Start rolling it out into a bit larger round than your pie tin.

Then, mold it gently into a lightly greased pie tin (I used 26cm).

Place ½ of the apples on top and sprinkle with ½ of the amount of The Pecan Streusel. Brush the edges of The Crust with egg white.

Next, the second part of the apple mixture and The Streusel once again.

Bring the second part of the pastry dough in and sieve the working board once again for a bit. Roll it out as previously and gently cover the top of the pie.
Connect the ends of the dough and create an easy finger crimp. For more inspiration, drop me a message.

Then, brush the top of the pie with the egg white and cut the holes in the middle of the dough with a knife. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar and let it chill in a cold place for 15 more minutes.
Bake for about 50 minutes until baked through and golden on top.

Let it cool down on a rack for a bit and serve the Juicy Apple Pie warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Makes 12 serves.