Apple and Apricot Pie with Streusel Topping

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a dessert for apple lovers who want to spread their wings. The addition of dried apricots adds a hint of tartness that helps to balance the sweetness of the apples and the streusel topping that are used in the pie. This is not a sweet dessert. I suspect that those of you who are fond of barely sweet European pastries will enjoy this, but if you crave sweets you'll probably be happier with an old-fashioned apple pie. This is an easy pastry to make, but the streusel topping is not the type you fling over a filling. It is more cake-like and must be chilled before it is pinched into small pieces that are used to cover the apple and apricot mixture. I cut my apples into 12 segments and I've found that that is a perfect thickness for the slices used in this pie. At the end of an hours baking, they'll be fork tender and juicy but will still retain their shape. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. If you are not so inclined, I hope you'll at least throw some dried apricots into your favorite apple pie and see what transpires. In the meantime, here are the instructions for this pie.

Apple and Apricot Pie with Streusel Topping...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Pastry for single crust pie
Crumb Topping 
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/4 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
Filling
5 large apples (2-1/2 pounds), such as Granny Smith— peeled, cored, quartered and thickly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup diced dried apricots (2-1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small dice

Directions:
1) Roll pastry to fit a 9-inch pie or quiche pan. Refrigerate until ready to fill. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2) To make streusel: Combine butter and sugar in a small bowl. Blend with a fork until creamy. Mix in egg white and almond extract and stir until incorporated. Sift flour and salt into butter mixture and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3) To make filling: In a bowl, toss apples with sugar and apricots, zest, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of flour. Scrape apples into pie shell and dot with butter. Crumble topping over apples leaving some fruit showing so steam can escape as pie bakes.
4) Bake pie in lower third of oven for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 400 degrees F. and bake until topping is nicely browned and filling is bubbling slightly, about 1 hour. If topping becomes too dark, cover with foil during last 20 minutes of baking. Let pie cool completely before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Stir-Fried Broccoli with Ginger and Garlic

Two Years Ago Today: Rhubarb and Raspberry Swirl Brunch Cake

Three years Ago Today: Apple Cider Quatre Quarts Pound Cake

Four Years Ago Today: Cranberry Dressing