Speedy Streusel Apple Pie

image scanned in from The Pampered Chef All the Best Cookbook

I never got to make my apply pie for the 4th of July, so I made it last night. I don't actually like apple pie for the most part. I know, so unAmerican of me. But I LOVE this pie. I've posted the recipe before. But here it is again, with pictures of us making it.

Buddy, my little baker, peeling, coring and slicing apples.

Apples all sliced up.

Then I mix them with the cinnamon and sugar, et al. and dump them into the crust.

Sprinkle the streusel mix (my favorite part) on top.

Bake, cool and eat. Great with vanilla ice cream (unfortunately, we were

out due to all the Purple Cow Milkshakes we've been making).

Speedy Streusel Apple Pie

a Pampered Chef recipe

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (15 oz.) refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts), divided

1 egg white, lightly beaten

¼ cup pecan halves, chopped

¾ cup plus 2 TBSP sugar, divided

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon, divided

5-6 medium red baking apples (Jonathan, Rome or Braeburn), about 6 cups sliced

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

3 TBSP cornstarch

Powdered Sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Let pie crusts stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Gently unfold one pie crust onto lightly floured surface. Roll to an 11 ½ inch circle. Place in pie plate (not metal) pressing dough into bottom and up sides. Brush with egg white over bottom and halfway up sides of crust.

For streusel, dice remaining pie crust (it’s not necessary to unfold it). Place in bowl. Add chopped pecans, 2 TBSP sugar and ¼ tsp of cinnamon; toss and set aside.

Core and slice apples leaving peels on (or off). Cut apples into quarters. In a large bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, and vanilla; toss to coat. In small bowl combine cornstarch, remaining ¾ cup sugar and remaining tsp. cinnamon; mix well. Add sugar mixture to apples stirring to coat evenly. Spoon apple mixture into crust; sprinkle evenly with reserved streusel.

Microwave on HIGH 8 minutes or until apples are very hot, rotating dish after 4 minutes. Remove pie from microwave; immediately place on bottom rack of conventional oven. Bake 18-22 minutes or until topping is deep golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand at least 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; if desired. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 8 servings.

My recipe notes:

• This time I used Granny Smith apples and peeled them. Princess Sparkley is not a fan of apple peels.
  

• I don't think I had enough apples. Buddy ate a lot as we sliced. It calls for 5-6, I think we used 4 1/2 larger apples. But we definitely needed more.

• I love the streusel top, but it seems like I come up short on it to cover the whole pie. But two whole crusts for the top seems like a lot. Maybe one and a half? I wonder if you could freeze that other half again, or just make cinnamon sugar crisps with it?

Notice how none of my pictures show much crust... I'm horrible at making the crust look all ruffled and pretty. This recipe is great because it calls for Pillsbury crusts that are all made and ready for me to use. I don't even use a rolling pin on it like the recipe says. I just unroll it and stick it in my pie plate. Excellent for those of us with no pie shell making skills.