Custard Apple Pie

Serves 6-8.

I first made this when I brought a Costco box of Jonagold apples. Jonagold apples don't have the crunch I like for my snacking so they had to go, in a delicious pie that is! The recipe is pretty simple and easy, but ask questions if you want :). The crumbly stuff on the top is called streusel and makes the dish.

Ingredients

Single Pie Crust:

1 1/4 cups flour
8 tbsps unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps sugar
4 tbsps ice water

Pie Filling:

4 medium apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 oz. sour cream
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

4 tbsps unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar

Method:

Making the crust

1. Freeze the butter for 15 minutes.
2. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse together.
3. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal with pea-sized bits of butter.
4. Drizzle the water a tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition until it all starts to clump together.
5. Empty the dough onto a clean surface and gently press together to form a disk. Try not to knead or work the dough too much, it will result in a tough crust.
6. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
7. Remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. What works pretty well and helps with the clean up here is to place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap on the work surface, and then place another piece of plastic wrap on top and roll the dough out between the plastic. It also makes it easier to handle the pastry when it comes time to transfer it to the pie dish. You want to roll it out to about a 12-inch circle and 1/8-inch thickness.
8. Remove the top sheet of plastic and invert onto the pie dish.

The Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Line the pie crust with apple slices.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, egg yolks, cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of flour, vanilla, and cinnamon together until blended.
4. Pour the custard over the apples (it might look like it’s not enough custard – it’s okay).
5. Bake the pie for 30 minutes.

Streusel Topping

1. Combine the butter, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/4 cup brown sugar together in a bowl with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Take the pie out of the oven after it has baked for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the pie. 
3. Bake the pie in the oven for another 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and cool for 1 hour.