Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Single Crust Pastry
- 160 g all-purpose flour
- 115 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 12 g sugar
- 3 g salt
- 60 ml ice water
Creamy Apple Filling
- 6 baking apples, peeled, cored, sliced 6mm thick
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 60 ml heavy cream
- 25 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ground cinnamon
- ½ ground nutmeg
- 15 ml lemon juice
Walnut Streusel Topping
- 95 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g brown sugar, packed
- 85 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 85 g walnuts, chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a processor. Pulse in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-sized bits.
Drizzle in ice water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing until the dough just begins to clump together. Do not overwork.
Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes to relax the gluten.
Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to a 30cm circle. Transfer to the pie dish, trim, and crimp edges. Freeze the shell for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch drips and conduct heat.
Toss peeled apple slices with lemon juice in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add the dry mixture and the heavy cream to the apples. Toss vigorously until the apples are evenly coated in a creamy, spiced batter.
Layer apples tightly into the chilled pie shell, mounding them slightly in the center to account for shrinkage.
For the streusel: Combine flour, brown sugar, and walnuts in a bowl. Pour in melted butter and mix with a fork until large, moist crumbs form.
Sprinkle the streusel generously over the apples, covering them completely.
Bake on the preheated baking sheet at 200°C/400°F for 20 minutes. Then reduce heat to 175°C/350°F and bake for another 40-50 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 3 hours. This is critical for the filling to set.
Chef's Notes
- Using a mix of Granny Smith (tart, holds shape) and Honeycrisp or Braeburn (sweet, breaks down slightly) creates the best texture and flavor profile.
- The addition of heavy cream to the filling creates a 'custard-like' coating around the apples, mimicking the richness of a scoop of ice cream inside the pie.
- Chilling the pie shell before baking helps prevent shrinkage and keeps the crimped edges sharp.
- Place the pie on a preheated baking sheet to ensure the bottom crust cooks through and becomes crispy rather than soggy.
- Don't skip the rest period. A warm fruit pie will always fall apart; it needs time for the starches to retrograde and set.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Cover loosely with foil or plastic wrap.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze baked pie wrapped tightly; thaw in fridge overnight.
Reheating: Warm in a 175°C oven for 10-15 minutes to re-crisp the streusel.
