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Cran Apple Brown Butter Crumble Pie by Baking The Goods.

Cranberry Apple Brown Butter Crumble Pie


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Description

Sweet apples and tart cranberries get all cozy under a blanket of warm and spicy, hazelnut and oat crumble topping made with brown butter. 


Ingredients

Units
  • 1 disk All Butter Vodka Pie Dough (http://bakingthegoods.com/2014/01/17/butter-vodka-pie-dough-recipe/)

CRANBERRY APPLE FILLING

  • 6-8 medium apples (I used Autumn Glory Apples but Granny Smiths or Honeycrisp are also nice)
  • 8 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom

CRUMBLE TOP

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup hazlenuts (toasted and chopped)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon sparkling or turbinado sugar

Instructions

SHAPING THE PIE SHELL

  1. You will need a single disk of prepared pie dough, you can't go wrong with my All Butter Vodka Dough Recipe. (This recipe makes 2 disks, I suggest making both and freezing the second one to have on hand for your next pie baking adventure).
  2. Remove the dough disk from refrigerator and roll out onto a lightly floured surface into a 12" round about 1/8" thick.
  3. Gently transfer the rolled dough into a 9" pan, leaving a 1-2" overhang all the way around. Gather the scraps, roll out the dough and cut small leaves to decorate the crust with. 
  4. Tuck the edge underneath itself to form a ring around the edge of the pie plate. Flute the edges by pinching the dough between your thumb and pointer finger on one hand and your pointer finger knuckle on the other.
  5. Place the pie shell and leaf shapes (on a small lined baking sheet) in the freezer and chill while you prepare the topping and filling.

PREPARE THE CRUMBLE TOPPING

  1. Chop the butter into a few chunks and add to a small saucepan warming over medium - medium high heat.
    Slowly whisk or swirl the butter until it begins to turn a warm chestnut color and tiny brown flecks start to form on the bottom of the pan. This is a delicate process, so stay vigilant. You want the butter browned but not burnt. Just before it's ready the butter will start to foam up.
    Remove from heat and transfer to a shallow, heatproof dish. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Stir the butter to redistribute the brown bits, cover and transfer to the freezer to chill and re-solidify for 10 minutes.
    Remove the butter from the freezer and stir the butter mix again to distribute the brown bits. Return to freezer and chill again for about 30 minutes, until the butter is firm. Then chop into 1/2" cubes. 
  2. Combine the chilled brown butter cubes, flour, sugar, oats, hazelnuts, salt, cinnamon and cardamom together in a large bowl. Use your hands to mash the butter into the other ingredients until coarse crumbles the size of peas form. Place in the fridge to keep chilled. 

PREPARE THE CRANBERRY APPLE FILLING

  1. Peel and core the apples, then cut into 1/8"- 1/4" slices. Place in a large mixing bowl and toss with cranberries, lemon juice, sugar and spices. Set aside for at least 15 minutes so the juices begin to release from the fruit.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F, if baking right away.

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE THE PIE

  1. Pour the cranberry apple filling into the bottom shell, forming a mound that is taller in the center of the pie.
  2. Whisk the egg until blended. Gently brush the exposed, fluted edges of the pie with the egg wash. Sprinkle the crust with sparkling or turbinado sugar.
  3. Top pie evenly with crumble topping. Then top with leaf shapes as desired. Gently brush the leaf shapes with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
  4. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375°F and bake for another 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumble topping turns a deep golden color, you may need to cover the edges and or/tent the pie to keep from over-browning. The fruit should be just soft when poked with a toothpick.
  5. Allow to cool on a rack for at least 1 hour, preferably 3 hours, before slicing.

Notes

*Once this pie is shaped, you can freeze it whole before baking to preserve the shape or bake at a later date. Just be sure to add 10-20 minutes to the total bake time. 

*While browning the butter in the crumble topping isn't totally necessary, it adds a warm and nutty depth of flavor to the pie. 

  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Category: Dessert