Apple Blueberry Crumb Pie – Recipe!

I love a good homemade pie, even in the summer when the weather is probably too hot to bake.  Piling fresh fruit high in a crust and topping it with a crumbly mixture that falls through your fingertips, is just plain fun.  After baking, I like to observe how the fruit has fallen into a syrupy cauldron, and the crumbs darken, while adhering respectfully.  A freshly baked pie comes from the heart and is always adored by those around you.

Apple season is not quite here yet, but since I have a few apple trees in my yard, I noticed they don’t always follow the season, especially during global warming.  You can find apples almost anywhere year-round, which makes them perfectly acceptable to add to fresh summertime berries in a pie.  The combination of the two have a pleasant balance of sweetness and the apples make the pie a little more structurally sound.

Crumb topping or crust is always a decision in pie baking.  I go with crumb this time around, because those crusty bits of oats and brown sugar always seem to make everyone smile just a little more deeper.  It’s like serving an apple-berry crisp with a crust, the best of both worlds, and who can’t resist?

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour + more for dusting

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold butter, diced

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Filling

5 medium apples, peeled and sliced

2 cups fresh blueberries

juice of 1 lemon

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Crumb Topping

1 cup quick oats

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup light brown sugar

8 tablespoons cold butter, diced

(Makes 1 Pie)

To Prepare:

1. To make crust – in a stand mixer or large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt on low speed for 1 minute.  Add butter and mix on low for 2 minutes, until coarse crumbs.  Add vinegar and 1/2 cup of ice water to flour mixture.  Mix on low speed until dough just begins to come together, about 30 seconds.  Remove dough and wrap in plastic, forming a disc.  Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2. To make filling – Add apples, berries and lemon juice to a large bowl, toss.  Add sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon, toss again.  Set aside.
3. To make crumb topping – all all ingredients into a bowl and using your hands, gently press ingredients together to form large crumbs.  Place in refrigerator until ready to top pie.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. Remove crust dough from plastic wrap and roll out on a flour-dusted counter into a large round.  Roll dough around pin, and place in a 9-inch pie plate.  Unroll dough and trim edges to hang 2-inches over plate.  Tuck dough under around edges and crimp with fingertips.
5. Pour filling into pie crust, then top with crumb topping.  Bake for 45-50 minutes in oven.  Place a sheet of foil over top of pie if getting too brown during baking.
6. Remove pie from oven and let cool at least two hours before slicing.  Enjoy!