A Happy Father's Day with Apple Crumb Pie

With Father's Day last Sunday, I knew I wanted to treat my dad (we call him Oci) to a special dessert.  Oci simply loves anything with apples, especially my Mom's and Grandma's apple cake.  Although they do it differently than the version of pie I made here, he seemed to appreciate my gesture and we demolished the pie as a family, devouring each slice with "Mmmms" flying across the table.

The recipe I used for this apple crumb pie came from an awesome cookbook called Dishing Up Vermont by Tracey Medeiros.  I featured Tracey's book in a recent giveaway for a signing event at Murray's Cheese Shop.  Even though I wasn't able to attend the event, I got her cookbook and it's really come in handy.  I like that it calls for fresh, local ingredients and that the recipes are approachable and short.

I altered the recipe slightly by using mascarpone cheese instead of the creme fraiche.  The key is to use really good quality, fresh apples and I mixed them up, using Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties.  What really makes this dessert is the buttery, crunchy topping of brown sugar crumbs.  It adds an interesting texture element that contrasts well with the soft apples inside.  Enjoy it and bake one for yourself and your loved ones.

Apple Crumb Pie with Creme Fraiche

Ingredients:

1 (10-inch) prepared pie shell (pre-made or homemade)
5 large apples, such as Northern Spy or Rhode Island Greening
1 1/2 cups creme fraiche, preferably Vermont-made
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 farm-fresh egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cultured butter, preferably Vermont-made, cold and cut into pieces
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Fit pastry into a 10-inch pie plate, flute edges, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.

Peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange in the chilled pie shell.

Combine the creme fraiche.  Mix the remaining 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, and cultured butter together in a small bowl until the mixture is crumbly. Fold in the pecans and sprinkle over the baked pie. Return the pie to the oven and continue baking for 15 minutes or until top is golden brown.