Coffee and Dessert - French Apple Pie

 Another great recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook. I was making an apple pie and after preparing the bottom crust and putting in the filling, the top crust decided it did not want to cooperate. Instead of making another crust, I went to Betty Crocker to look for other versions and found the French Apple Pie. The topping is extremely simple to make, and the results were amazing. Although I love a traditional apple pie, this one has become another favorite for us.

Ingredients for One-Crust Pie Pastry

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 tablespoons cold water.

1. Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons can be added if necessary).
2. Gather pastry into a ball, shape into flattened round on lightly floured board. Roll pastry 2 inches larger than inverted pie plate with floured rolling pin. Fold pastry into quarters; unfold and ease into pie plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

Apple Pie Filling

3/4 cup of sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 ground cloves

dash of salt

8 cups (or a little more for a full pie) sliced tart apples (I use McIntosh)

French Apple Crumb Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup firm margarine or butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare pastry.
2. Mix sugar, flour nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Stir in apples.
3. Put into pastry lined pie plate.
4. Mix crumb topping ingredients until crumbly.
5. Top filling with the crumb topping mix.
6. Bake 50 minutes. Cover topping with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes of baking.

French apple Pie