Apple Scrooge

« Fresh, warm apple pie with a layer of almond paste on the bottom and an almond crunch topping. It's a pity the net doesn't have smell-o-vision. :) »

I like to think of myself as a reasonably open-minded and adventurous eater as I am usually willing to try anything once as long as it's dead, not moving or otherwise too alien like, say, eyeballs. There are some foods we all grow up with that tend to imprint their characteristics early where they become a sort of platonic form by which all future versions are judged for perfection and authenticity. For me, these would include BBQ, cornbread, spaetzle, chili dogs, corn dogs and apple pie. Maybe marshmallow peeps, too, but noone outside the US has been crazy enough to try making those. I haven't had decent BBQ and cornbread since I left the midwest with the exception of the Blue Ribbon pulled pork in Arlington, MA.

Lots of places around the globe offer something they like to call apple pie but which offends my inner platonic ideal of apple pie-ness. Finland, and Scandinavia in general, often serve something that would be more appropriately called "Thick Crust Topped with an Apple Sliver" or maybe "Apple Tart" since it's often a cake or a thick sweet crust topped with a single layer of thinly sliced apples. Apple pie implies that it is, well, a pie brimming with apples. Apples are plentiful all year long and they're pretty cheap, too, so I'm not sure why the Nordics are so stingy with the healthiest and tastiest part of the pie. It can't be because it doesn't taste good as I made two of these pies and they were quickly hoovered by my colleagues without so much as a crumb left behind. :)

On the boxes of almond paste I bought when I was home for the holidays, there was a recipe for apple pie that I had a feeling would be popular around these parts since it featured an almond paste layer on the bottom and chopped almonds in a struesel topping. I saved the box and finally gave it a try and I almost didn't take the pie to the office as I was considering keeping it all for myself. I made my own crust since the sorts of frozen ready-made dough I've used before have been rather rubbery and tasteless. I'm not sure how it's possible to have so much fat with so little taste, but frozen commercial doughs seem to have it down to a science. I used a recipe for flaky pie crust from the The Professional Pastry Chef again with excellent results on the first try with a minimum of effort. If you've got time to peel the apples, you've got time to make a simple pie crust in 10-20 minutes.

Be careful not to overbake the filling as it's difficult to tell when the apples are done on this pie due to the topping. The slice of pie above was just a wee bit over the line at 1 hour 10 minutes baking time so 1 hour really should be the maximum baking time in a pre-heated oven at temperature.

Just say no to scroogey apple pies drowning in syrupy sweet vanilla sauce. The generous amount of apples between a bottom layer of flaky crust and almond paste and a crumb topping are fabulous and do not require anything else save perhaps some restraint to refrain from eating it with your hands straight out of the pie pan. :)

Almond Apple Crumb Pie

Serves: 8-12
Time: 20 min prep + 1 hour bake
Source: Odense almond paste box

Shell:

• 150-200g almond paste, room temperature
• 1 fresh (see recipe below) or frozen pie shell

Filling:

• 3 medium granny smith apples
• 3 medium golden delicious apples
• 1/4 cup or 1/2 dl sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup unsweetened, dried cranberries or raisins (optional)

Crumb Topping:

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup or 1,2 dl all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup or 1,2 dl uncooked oats
• 1/2 cup or 1,2 dl brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons or 85g cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup or 1/2 dl chopped almonds

Cut pie dough into two pieces. Roll one portion into a circle large enough for your pie pan. Let rest for a few minutes and place into pie pan. Press lightly into the pan. Trim the edge, leaving a bit of excess around the pan, with scissors and roll the trimmed dough overhang under with your fingers so that it is even with the edge of the pan. Crimp the dough to create a fluted edge or make a pretty 'sheaves of wheat' edge that looks pretty and is easy to do. Set aside.

Peel, core and slice apples. Squirt a little lemon juice on the slices to reduce browning. Combine apple slices in a bowl with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cranberries/raisins. Set aside to macerate.

Preheat oven to 375F/190C.

In bowl, combine topping ingredients and mix together with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly.

Roll almond paste between 2 sheets of baking paper to form a disc that will fit in the bottom of your pie shell. Trim with a knife to form a smooth edge and press into the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.

Stir macerated apples and spoon into pie shell, arranging apple slices so that they lie flat and close together. Spoon crumb topping evenly over the apples.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Flaky Pie Dough

Makes: 2 10" pie shells
Time: 10 minutes prep + 1-2 hours chilling
Source: The Professional Pastry Chef

• 360g or 13oz bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 225g or 2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 70g or 5 tablespoons cold baking margarine or shortening, cut into small pieces
• 80ml or 1/3 cup ice cold water

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the firm butter and shortening to the flour and pinch butter with your fingers or cut in butter with a pastry blender until fat is the size of small pebbles.

Add the ice water and mix with your hands until the dough comes together, but still a little lumpy. Gather dough into a ball. Flatten into a disc and place in the refrigerator to rest for 1-2 hours. This step is important to allow the dough to hydrate.