What's the most popular pie in America? You guessed it: apple. Despite its ancient history (written recipes for apple pie go back to at least the 1500s), apple pie definitely isn't old-hat. It's a must-have at Thanksgiving, and a favorite restaurant dessert. If there were a comfort food hall of fame, apple pie would be a charter member.

This single-crust pie features a walnut-studded streusel topping, which adds another element to both the texture and taste of the pie. And for those of you who might be a little tentative about your crust-rolling skills, this pie requires you to roll just one crust, instead of the usual two.

Yield: One 9-inch pie, 8 to 10 servings
Baking temperature: 375°F
Baking time: 1 hour


Crust
1 cup (4 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (optional)
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick, 3 ounces) cold unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (1ounce) orange juice
2 to 4 tablespoons (1 to 2 ounces) ice water


Filling
5 to 6 cups sliced peeled apples, such as Granny Smith or your favorite pie apples (about 4 large or 6 medium apples, about 2 pounds)
1 ¼ cups (5 ounces) confectioners' sugar
¼ cup (1 7/8 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons (¾ ounce) unbleached all-purpose flour

Topping
½ cup (2 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour
½ cup (1 ¾ ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup (2 ounces) chopped walnuts
½ cup (3 ¾ ounces) lightly packed light or dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (½ stick, 2 ounces) unsalted butter

Whisk together the flour, buttermilk powder (if using), sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and work it into the dry ingredients using your fingers, a pastry blender or fork, or a mixer until the dough is unevenly crumbly.

Sprinkle the orange juice over the dough and toss to moisten. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough is cohesive. Grab a handful; if it holds together willingly and doesn't seem at all dry or crumbly, you've added enough liquid.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and shape it into a disk. Roll on its edge along a floured work surface, as though the disk were a wheel, to smooth the edges out. This will result in a rolled-out crust with smooth, rather than ragged, edges. Pat the disk till it?s about 1 inch thick and roll it like a wheel again. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days.

About 30 minutes before you?re ready to assemble the pie, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Allow it to warm up a bit and become flexible, 15 to 30 minutes.

Flour your work surface, and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch regular (not deep-dish) pie pan that's at least 1 ¼ inches deep. Trim and crimp the edges, making a tall crimp. Place the crust in the refrigerator to chill while you?re preparing the filling.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To make the filling: Cut the apple slices into halves or thirds; you're looking for apple pieces that are about 1 inch square. Place the apples in a shallow, microwave-safe bowl, and microwave them, uncovered, for 5 to 6 minutes, until they've softened but still retain a bit of "bite." Remove them from the oven, transfer them to a medium mixing bowl, and stir in the sugar, spices, salt, vanilla and lemon juice. As you stir, the mixture will become syrupy. Add the butter and flour, and stir until everything is well blended. Set aside.

To make the topping: Whisk together the flour, oats, nuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the vanilla. Cut the butter into small cubes, and work it into the dry ingredients till the mixture is evenly crumbly.

To assemble and bake the pie: Spoon the apples into the chilled crust. Spread the topping evenly over the apples. Tent the entire pie lightly with foil.

Bake the pie until the crust and topping are golden brown and the apples are bubbling, 1 hour. Remove the pie from the oven, and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Nutrition information per serving (1 slice, 1/10 pie, 158g): 22g whole grains, 412 cal, 18g fat, 5g protein, 29g complex carbohydrates, 31g sugar, 4g dietary fiber, 37mg cholesterol, 184mg sodium, 273mg potassium, 120RE vitamin A, 15mg vitamin C, 2mg iron, 82mg calcium, 169mg phosphorus.

Copyright © 2006 by King Arthur Flour. All rights reserved.