Bud’s Nothing Finer Diner Apple Crumb Pie

From Home Sweet Home in For Love and Honor and Crazy Sweet Fine

Crust ingredients

1 1/4C flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp cold butter
4-6 tbsp ice water

Filling ingredients

5 1/2-6C apple chunks (Roughly 5 large apples. I used Cortland – my fav for baking with!)
1/2C brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2-1 tbsp lemon juice

Topping ingredients

1 1/4C flour
1/2C brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2C butter, melted

Directions

In a food processor blend flour, sugar, salt and cold butter chunks. Blend until butter chunks are pea size or smaller. Begin adding 1 tbsp ice water at a time until you reach the consistency you are happy with. Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour. *Alternately you can mix everything together by hand with forks or a pastry blender.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. Peel and roughly chop up apples into nice sized chunks. Transfer apple chunks into large bowl with dry ingredients. Top off with vanilla and lemon juice. Toss to coat apples well. Set aside for 10-15 minutes while you prep the dough.

Roll out dough accordingly to fit your desired pie dish. My personal preference for rolling out pie dough is between two sheets of plastic wrap – no flour needed and no sticking to the counter! Easily peel off one side of the plastic wrap, flip into the pie dish, press and remove remaining plastic. Voila! Trim edges as needed.

Fill pie crust with prepared apple chunks.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Pour cooled melted butter into bowl. Toss and cut until small to medium sized chunks form. Break up large chunks as needed. Using a spoon, sprinkle crumb topping over entire pie.

Cover pie loosely with foil. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and continue baking for an additional 35 minutes. Cool or top with ice cream and serve warm.