Crumb Topped Apple Pie

I can hear it already. “But Kate,” you say, “it is August. Why are you posting pie recipes?” Well. That is because it is August and while I love my darling children so very much, tomorrow is the day that they go back to school and while we greatly enjoyed our time together this summer, right now, they are basically plotting each others’ murders over things like one brushing their teeth while the other one is in the shower. I posted about this on my Instagram story the other day, but we are at Threat Level Midnight. What is Threat Level Midnight, you ask?

Well, in the world of The Office, it is the name of the fictional screenplay that Michael Scott wrote about him being secret Agent Michael Scarn.

But for me, it’s when things get so out of control that the only term to describe them is Threat Level Midnight. Let me be very clear that I love my kids very, very much and we have spent most of our summer enjoying our time off. I’ve loved having them around and I will miss them when they go back to school. Let me also say that I realize my limits as a mother and that a homeschooling situation would never work for me (or for them.)

Back to Threat Level Midnight. For instance, on this mid-August day, every single laundry basket I own (7…7 laundry baskets) is filled to the brim, and the washing machine is also currently running. Because laundry is at Threat Level Midnight (both day-to-day laundry and because of a situation we shall refer to as the Schmed Schmug Schmituation of 2018.) The fighting. The late bedtimes. The eating out. The fact that the TV remote is missing and I didn’t get to watch Parks & Rec after they went to bed last night because it could not be located. The hours of YouTube that have been watched over the last 3 weeks. These are just a sampling of things that are Threat Level Midnight status at my house. And, really, I suspect that as summer comes to an end, lots of you are in a similar situation, so there is only one remedy.

Pie.

Pie in August. Buttery, crumbly, apple-y pie. Because Pie in August is a promise of fall, when everyone is in school and your bathroom sink isn’t filled with soap bubbles from people using, like, 10 pumps of hand soap and your kitchen sink isn’t filled with every plastic Ikea cup you own.

To get started, preheat your oven to 350.

Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, and chopped pecans in a small mixing bowl, then add the melted butter. Pack 1 cup of the mixture into a measuring cup and set it aside;

gently press remaining mixture into a 9″ pie plate.

Be sure not to pack it in there too tightly or it will be too hard and messy to slice the pie when it’s baked.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and vanilla and bring to a boil. While mixture is heating, place 3 sliced, peeled apples in the pie crust.

After sugar/water mixture has come to a boil, pour the hot mixture over the apples.

Sprinkle reserved crumb topping over apples

and then place the pie plate on a baking sheet.

Bake for 43-45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes or so, you may need to cover the pie with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep the pie from getting too brown.

Serve warm (if you can)

with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

But really. This is August Pie. So eating it cold is still going to be pretty amazing.

Crumb-Topped Apple Pie

• Author: kate jones

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Description

This crumb-topped apple pie is a cross between a pie and apple crisp–always a crowd pleaser!

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Ingredients

2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. uncooked regular oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. chopped pecans
3/4 c. butter, melted
4 c. tart, thinly sliced apples (like Granny Smith; about 3 apples)
1/3 c. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla

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Instructions

reheat oven to 350.

Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, chopped pecans, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Pack 1 cup of the mixture into a measuring cup and set it aside; gently press remaining mixture into a 9″ pie plate. Be sure not to pack it in there too tightly or it will be too hard and messy to slice the pie when it’s baked.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and vanilla and bring to a boil. While mixture is heating, place apples in the pie crust. After sugar/water mixture has come to a boil, pour the hot mixture over the apples. Sprinkle reserved crumb topping over apples and then place the pie plate on a baking sheet.Bake for 43-45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes or so, you may need to cover the pie with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep the pie from getting too brown.

Serve warm (if you can) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

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