Dutch apple pie, or apple crumb pie, is a perfect bite of fall. Fresh apples are baked under a buttery crumble topping. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a fabulous dessert.
Prepare pie crust and fit into pie plate. Put in refrigerator.
Peel and core apples. Thinly slice. Put in large mixing bowl and toss with lemon juice.
In a small bowl, stir together sugar and flour. Sprinkle over apples and toss to coat.
Now, make the crumb topping by stirring together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and lemon zest.
Add the butter and cut in to form crumbs. You can use a couple of butter knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingers to do this.
Arrange apple slices in pie crust. It should be mounding over the top, but they will cook down as it bakes. Distribute the crumb topping over the top.
Put pie on a sheet pan to catch any juices that may escape. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for an hour. Watch the top and tent with foil if it browns before the pie is done. The pie is done when the crust and topping are golden and the juices and bubbling and thickened.
Cool before cutting. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Notes
You should get about 6 cups of apple slices from the 2 pounds of apples.For a spicier pie, you can add a little bit of nutmeg, cloves, or allspice. Or substitute a teaspoon of apple pie spice for the spices in the recipe.You can omit the lemon zest if desired. You can also use orange juice in place of the lemon juice if desired for a warmer flavor.Allowing the pie to cool completely before serving lets the liquid set up and will result in prettier slices. Rewarm the pie for a few seconds in the microwave to enjoy warm. We like to use a variety of apples in the pie to get the best of everything. Check out the tips in the post to see what apple varieties work well in pies.