Apple-Cranberry Streusel Pie
Oh My, Pie!
Apple-Cranberry Streusel Pie
The best piecrusts are made with a mix of solid vegetable shortening and butter. If they’re made with only shortening, the crusts get crunchy, almost like crackers; if with only butter, they get thick and even go boggy at the center. So we mix the two for cakier or crunchier results, based on what pairs best with the filling. Here, we wanted a slightly cakier crust to match the buttery crumble on top of the pie.
Squash and Honey Pie
For the Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits
- 1½ tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
- At least 3 tablespoons very cold water
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
For the Filling
- 5 cups medium-tart baking apples, such as Empire, Rome, or Northern Spy (about 5 medium), sliced, peeled, and cored
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
- ⅔ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons instant tapioca
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the streusel
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small bits
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Download Ingredients
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place oven rack in the center.
- To make the crust: Mix the flour and salt in a small bowl; then cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
- Stir 3 tablespoons of cold water and the vinegar in a small bowl or cup. Add it to the flour mixture, and stir with a fork until a soft, pliable, smooth dough forms, adding more cold water in ½-tablespoon increments as needed. Gather the dough into a ball, dust it with flour, and roll it into an 11-inch circle. Center and set the crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp the edge, fluting it or otherwise creating a decorative pattern at the rim, if desired.
- To make the filling: Mix the apples, cranberries, white sugar, tapioca, and flour in a large bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes while you make the streusel.
- To make the streusel: Process the butter, flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until crumbly, like coarsely ground cracker crumbs.
- To put it all together: Pour and scrape every drop of the filling into the prepared crust. Crumble and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the filling.
- Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, and continue baking until the streusel is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling underneath, about 40 minutes more. If the streusel starts to brown too deeply, drape a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the pie to protect it. Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 1 hour or to room temperature before slicing into wedges. Store tightly covered with plastic wrap on the countertop for up to 2 days.
Posted in Issue 80 Vol 1, Recipe on Oct 13, 2016