Dutch Apple Pie is my favorite type of apple pie. The crunchy topping and the perfectly cooked apples make it a perfect dessert on its own or a delicious base for vanilla ice cream and/or caramel sauce. Fall is also the best time of year to make Dutch Apple Pie especially if you can get fresh apples straight from an orchard. However, this pie is delicious even if you must buy your apples from the local grocery store.
I suggest using 3 types of apples in this pie. First, start with the tart Granny Smith apples. These apples are the base for most apple pies but if you want depth of flavor, then add two more types of sweet apples. Honeycrisp are the perfect eating apple in my opinion and add the perfect amount of sweet and tart. Finally, I add another sweet apple like an Ambrosia, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious. This pie needs 5 pounds of apples. I typically use 2 lbs Granny Smith, 1.5 lbs Honeycrisp and 1.5 lbs Ambrosia/Pink Lady/Golden Delicious.
For a truly delicious pie the filling needs to be cooked and cooled before putting it in the crust. I have made pies with raw apples before and sometimes the apples just don’t get to the perfect tenderness. Cooking the apples before baking the pie guarantees perfection for the filling. Trust me this is the way to a great apple pie. Give this recipe a try and I am sure you will not be disappointed.
INGREDIENTS
Single pie crust (Homemade Pie Crust)
Apple Filling
2 tbsp butter
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon (2 tbsp)
5 lbs. apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla
Sugar Crumble
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
Start with 5 pounds of the best apples you can find. Use at least 3 types of apples to give the filling a great depth of flavor. Typically I use 2 pounds Granny Smith for tartness, 1.5 pounds Honeycrisp for sweet honey flavor and a bit of tartness and 1.5 pounds of Golden Delicious for perfect sweet apple flavor. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples to about 1/8 inch thickness. Add the lemon juice and zest to the apples to keep them from browning.
Mix the sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt in a bowl. Melt the 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet. Pick a pan that is large enough to hold all the apples. Add the sliced apples and the sugar mixture to the skillet (Photo A). Cook the filling on medium low heat. Place the lid on the skillet and stir the mixture gently every 5 minutes. Cook the apples to the texture you prefer in your pie. This takes approximately 20-25 minutes.
Photo A
Photo B
Once the apples are cooked, remove the mixture from the heat and add in the vanilla (Photo B).
Now it is time to cool the filling to room temperature. You can leave the filling in the skillet but it will take several hours for the filling to cool. Spreading the filling out on a baking sheet will cool quickly (Photo C). Usually I make the filling the day before I want to bake the pie. Pour the entire mixture into a container with a lid and refrigerate overnight.
Photo C
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a baking sheet in the oven on a middle rack.
While the filling is cooling, make the sugar crumble. In a medium size bowl, mix the flour, sugars and salt (Photo D). Pour the melted butter over the mixture and mix until it resembles a soft sand (Photo E). Put in the refrigerator until needed.
Photo D
Photo E
Photo F
Place the cooled filling in an almost frozen pie crust (Photo G). Remove the crumble from the fridge and break it up with a fork until the pieces are the size of peas(Photo F). Place half of the crumble over the apples (Photo H). Save the remaining mixture for later.
Photo G
Photo H
Place the pie on the baking sheet on a middle rack. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and place a shield of aluminum foil around the crust (Photo J). Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. Remove the shield and bake an additional 5-10 minutes if the crust and crumble needs to be a little more brown.
Photo J
Photo K
Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for approximately 4 hours (Photo K). Don’t be tempted to slice it to early. It will be too runny. Serve with vanilla ice cream and/or caramel sauce.
