Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.
Jane Austen
Hey, Lovelies.
I love a good pie, but pies from scratch can take hours. This recipe is a cheat’s version of an apple pie, but it’s so yummy you won’t notice.
We’re in lockdown right now, so making pies seems like the right thing to do. I love a good pie. I also love a good crumble or cobbler. This easy recipe combines both. You have a pie base, an apple filling and a deliciously buttery and nutty crumble topping.
If you already have a pie crust you can throw this recipe together in a few minutes, because it uses canned pie apple for the filling. You can also use my super easy pastry recipe here, or use store-bought shortcrust pastry and have a crust made in no time.
If you’re feeling super lazy, omit the crust and just chuck the apple mix in a casserole dish with the crumble on top.
Do let the pie sit for at least ten minutes after you take it out of the oven so that the filling firms up and cuts nicely for you rather than sploodging all over the plate.
Serve with lashings of good quality vanilla icecream and some pouring cream for a nurturing dessert. Ben also recommends it as a breakfast pie with a big dollop of yoghurt, because apparently fruit and yoghurt is breakfast food every day of the week! 😊
Enjoy!
Lots of love, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and spice, Nicole xx
Ingredients for the pie
- One cooked pie crust (Need an easy one? Try this)
- Canned pie apple – enough to fill the crust. I baked a 22cm pie crust in a springform pan and needed 3 x 410g cans
- 1 x tablespoon of flour
- grated zest of one lemon
- 1 x tablespoon plain flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg (or more if you’re a fan)
Ingredients for the crumble
- 1/2 cup of raw sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
- 1 x teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup plain flour
- 3/4 cup pecans (or walnuts or macadamias)
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 125g (1/2 cup) cold butter chopped into small cubes
Method
- Take the pie filling from the can, draining any juice. Place it in a large bowl.
- Mix the cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest through the canned apple. Taste it, and add a little sugar or extra cinnamon if you feel it needs it.
- Stir the flour through the apple. This will help to thicken up any juices and give a firmer cooked filling.
- Spoon your filling into the prepared crust.
- Place all the crumble filling ingredients into a food processor and whizz briefly until ingredients are combined and crumbly looking.
- Spoon or sprinkle the crumble filling lavishly over the top of your pie.
- Bake in a moderate (180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit) oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until the crumble topping is nicely browned.
- Remove from oven and stand for ten minutes before serving for the pie to thicken and settle.
