This is a recipe out of my recipe box. I have no idea where the recipe originally came from but the index card is smudged and warped from repeated use.

This is my go-to recipe in the fall when I have a bunch of apples and I’m craving apple pie but don’t want to be in the kitchen all day. Except for the peeling and chopping of the apples, the pie itself can be assembled in less than 10 minutes. As for “tart” apples, I usually use a mix of Granny Smith and Jonathan or Macintosh apples. I tried Honeycrisp apples one time and although this is my favorite eating apple, it doesn’t work too well for this pie. It was a little too sweet and it didn’t break down and release its juices as well as the tarter brands. You really want the apples to release their juice and mingle with the sugar to form a sweet pie filling.

Ingredients:

  • 5 to 7 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4″ narrow slices (about 5 cups)
  • One 9″ frozen pie crust (in foil pan)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. cloves
  • 1/4 tsp. allspice
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 6 Tbl. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 Tbl. slices

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º F. Put sliced apples into pie shell. You want the apples mounded pretty high as they will cook down when you bake them. Mix 1/2 cup sugar (I usually use just a bit less.) with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg until mixed well. Sprinkle over apples in pie shell.

 

In another bowl, mix 3/4 cup flour with 1/3 cup sugar and pinch of salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the streusel topping over top of pie.

 

Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes. Cover pie with foil if it starts to get too brown and cooking time is not yet complete.

Take out of oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes. The pie can be served warm with vanilla ice cream or stored at room temperature to eat later. Good luck with that.