Whiskey-Apple Crumble Pie with Pecan Topping
Single-crust pie with sautéed tart apples folded with whiskey and warm spices, topped with a buttery pecan-flour crumble. The crust is blind-baked until barely golden, then filled and baked at high temperature before lowering heat to allow the crumble topping to brown while filling bubbles at the edges.
Ingredients
- 9 inches pastry for single-crust pie
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- salt
- 9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- 2 lbs tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thickgranny smith1:1fruit
ideal tart variety
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- 2
Roll out pastry and line 9-inch pie pan.
- 3
Prick dough with fork, then line with foil.
- 4
Fill bottom with pastry weights or dry beans.
- 5
Bake 8 minutes, remove foil and weights, and bake 8-10 minutes longer, until pastry looks dry and is barely starting to color.
- 6
Remove from oven and let cool.
- 7
In food processor, blend flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt briefly.
- 8
Dice butter and add to processor, along with pecans; pulse until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- 9
Set crumble mixture aside.
- 10
Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
- 11
Melt remaining butter in large skillet.
- 12
Add apple slices and sauté over medium heat about 5 minutes, until a bit softened around the edges, with some just starting to brown.
- 13
Remove from heat.
- 14
Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg, then pour over apples and fold together.
- 15
Fold in whiskey.
- 16
Pour apple mixture into crust and top with crumble.
- 17
Place pan on baking sheet.
- 18
Bake 10 minutes, lower heat to 350 degrees and bake about 40 minutes longer, until topping browns and juices bubble.
- 19
Allow pie to cool completely before cutting.
Tips
Blind-bake the crust fully before filling to prevent a soggy bottom.
Sauté apples only until edges soften; they will finish cooking in the oven.
Fold whiskey gently into apples to preserve the alcohol flavor.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Warm in 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Pie can be made a day in advance and warmed for serving.
Allow pie to cool completely before cutting.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip blind-baking to avoid a soggy crust.
Do not over-sauté apples to avoid mushy filling.
Do not skip cooling before cutting to avoid filling collapse.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
ideal tart variety