Deep Dish Apple Pie with Brandy Pecan Crumb Topping

This is one of the best apple pies ever, with a candied pecan crumb topping. It is a deep dish pie that can be made in a cast iron skillet for that rustic look, and it helps make a great pie crust. You can even leave it in the skillet to cool and serve it that way at tableside. If you would like to serve it with a generous portion of vanilla ice cream that would be fine or some would say even better. Enjoy!

Here is the recipe for the pastry dough:

1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

2 Ounces of granulated sugar

3/4 Teaspoon salt

1 1/2 Sticks of cold unsalted butter

4 to 6 Tablespoons ice water

To make the pastry dough: In a kitchen aid mixer you will mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse cookie dough. You will add cold water and pulse until the dough has come together.

You will take the dough from the mixer and add to a lightly floured work surface. You will start to knead the dough out with your hands until flattened somewhat. Once the dough is flat to about a half an inch to an inch in thickness you will cover it with plastic wrap and hold in the fridge until ready for it. When you are ready for the dough pull from the fridge and let warm up to almost room temp so it will be pliable and easier to work with.

For the filling:

3 Pounds of fresh Gala Apples

1/2 Cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 Cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons of whole butter pieces

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 Teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon of vanilla bean paste

1 Ounce of Brandy

To make the filling: Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into 1/2-inch wedges and in a bowl toss the remaining filling ingredients sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean paste, Brandy,flour and cinnamon until they are completed coated. Now you will add your pieces of butter and give it another quick stir. You will now want to preheat your oven to 350°F while you make the topping and finish off making your deep dish apple pie recipe.

For the topping:

2 Tablespoons of room temperature butter

2 Ounces of light brown sugar

1/2 Ounce of Brandy

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 Cup pecans chopped fine

1/4 Cup of walnuts chopped fine

To make the topping:

In a small bowl with your fingertips blend the butter, brown sugar, and Brandy and mix. You will then add the flour and once again mix, but now until it is smooth and blend in all nuts. You will then wrap the topping in a saran covered bowl and chill the until you are ready for the topping.

To assemble the deep dish apple pie: You will need to prepare a lightly floured surface and roll out the dough until it is about an eighth of an inch thick. You will then add to a seasoned cast iron skillet. You will start to spoon the apple pie filling into the dough lined skillet.You will bake the pie for about 30 minutes and turn 108 degrees and then cook for about another 15 to 30 minutes in the oven. You will then remove the pie from the oven to add the crumble topping over the top of the pie, and then sprinkle with some brown sugar. You will continue to cook until the brown sugar is nice and melted, and starting to turn caramel in color. It may take another 15 to 20 minutes and then you will need to pull from the oven. If you have a wire baking rack you should cool the pie on a rack until cooled. You can serve this pie warm, or at room temperature, and as with all apple pies, it is of course fabulous with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Chef Shelley Pogue, a Cum Laude, Le Cordon Blue graduate and Executive Research and Development Chef, for Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon, CA.

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