As American As...

The pie pictured above I made on Mother's Day a few weeks ago (hence the "MOM" crust on it), and gave it to Mike and his family in exchange for a brand new, never used desk!  They were going to put this desk up for sale at their neighborhood garage sale, but they offered it to me for free!  Then Mike held it hostage for "one of those pies with the crumb topping stuff..."  A large, brand new desk for one pie? Deal.

Apple Pie with Oatmeal Crumb Topping:
-one single pie crust.  Might I recommend the crust mentioned in Lemon Meringue Mother's Day Pie?  Just cut the recipe in half, or refrigerate the other half and use later.

Filling:
-5-6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin (feel free to use whatever apples you prefer.  I like Granny Smiths)
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
-2 tbsp flour

Crumb Topping:
-1 heaping cup oatmeal (I used Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal)
-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
-6 tbsp flour
-1 stick butter or margarine
-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
-dash of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out your crust, then line a deep 9" or 10" pie dish with it.  Crimp the edges.  Take those delicious apples you peeled, cored, and sliced, and toss them in with all those other filling ingredients in a large bowl.  Set the apples aside to absorb some of that cinnamon-nutmeg-y goodness.  Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, mix all of the filling ingredients together.

You can use a fork or pastry cutter if you want to cut the butter in.  I just used my [clean] hands.  In my opinion, getting your hands dirty is the best way to cook.  Just go for it.  "Be one with your food."  Whatever.  Just blend all of the topping ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Its ok if it's a little dry, once the pie starts to bake the butter/margarine will melt and run throughout the crumb topping making it all good. 

Remember those juicy, delicious apples?  Well throw those babies in your crust-filled pie pan.  Just DON'T throw in that juice that has seeped from the apples and pooled on the bottom of the bowl.  Why you ask?  Because that extra juice will make your crust soggy and your filling extra soupy once its baked.  Soggy pie crust?  Yuck.  Save the juice for an easy dessert:  microwave the juice for a few seconds and pour it over vanilla ice cream or stir cold juice in plain yogurt!  Waste not!

Side note:When I'm not feeling rushed, I will actually take the time to layer the apples in the crust, that way I get as much of that delicious apple filling in as I can.  Here's a secret though:  if you CHOP the apples after you slice them(as in cut the slices in half), they will lie in the crust easier, making it easier to fill the crust and top the pie with the crumb topping.  My dad likes big "traditional" pieces in his pies though, so I don't usually chop mine.  Feel free to handle your apples at your own discretion.

Back to that pie you're making.  Got the apples in?  Great.  Take your crumb topping, and using your fingers, crumble it on top of the apples.  Press the crumbs down enough to make a seal around the crust, and cover any holes.  When I made this last time I had some extra crust left over, so I rolled it out into a thin rope and spelled "MOM" on top of the pie.  If you wanted, you could spell a name or someone's initials, or roll the crust out flat and use a cookie cutter to cut out a shape for a holiday or something.  Its a little something extra that gives the pie that fancy twist.

Gorgeous!  Place your pie in the oven and bake for 50-60mins, until the filling is hot and bubbling and the crust is a nice golden brown.  While your pie is baking, check on it every now and then to make sure the outer crust is not getting too browned.  If it is, wrap some aluminum foil around the edges to prevent it from burning.

Oh, and FYI, this is the best ice cream to pair with hot apple pie.  Hands down.  Go buy it.  Like.  Right now.