Dutch Apple Pie

I'm going to level with you. It should not have taken me this long to post this pie recipe. I've made it four times over the holiday season. And yes, that may be excessive, but once you try this pie you'll understand. Perhaps you'll understand the delay in posting too, because with pie this delicious, there is no time for pictures.

I cannot describe to you how incredibly wonderful and, dare I say, life-changing this pie is. It is my new favorite pie. That's a pretty big honor to bestow. Seriously, listen to me, you must make this pie.

The filling is wonderful in its simplicity. The juice from the apples is used to make the sauce which is not overly sweet, but very creamy with a slight caramel-apple flavor. The struesel on top is crumbly and sweet and compliments the filling in all the right ways.

Mmmmm.

I think I'm going to go eat another piece. Excuse me please.

Dutch Apple Pie
adapted from Handle the Heat

makes one 9 inch pie

Single crust pie-dough, baked

For the Filling:

5 large Granny Smith apples
4 large Fuji or McIntosh apples
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream

For the Streusel Topping:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornmeal
pinch of salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425.

For the apple filling:
Peel, quarter, and core the apples; slice each quarter crosswise into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Toss the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl to combine. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over high heat until foaming subsides; add the apples and toss to coat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until the Granny Smith apple pieces are tender and the Fuji apple slices are softened and beginning to break down, about 10 minutes.

Set a large colander over the large bowl; transfer the cooked apples to the colander. Shake the colander and toss the apples to drain off as much juice as possible. Bring the drained juice and the cream to a boil in the now-empty Dutch oven over high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and a wooden spoon leaves a trail in the mixture, about 5 minutes. Transfer the apples to the pre-baked pie shell, pour reduced juice mixture over and smooth with a rubber spatula.

For the streusel topping:
Combine the flour, sugars, cornmeal, and salt in a medium bowl; drizzle with the melted butter and toss with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened and forms many large chunks with pea-size pieces mixed throughout. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the streusel in an even layer on the paper. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes; cool the baking sheet on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.

To finish:
Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the pie filling. Set the pie plate on the now-empty baking sheet and bake until the streusel topping is a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature and serve.