Family Recipes: Susan's Sour Cream Crumble Top Apple Pie

We all have something that our mother makes that we cannot get enough of. That we beg for when visiting home, that we have no desire to learn how to make it because we prefer it when Mom makes it for us. The most comforting of comfort food.

For me that is this pie.


Year round, in any weather, for any occasion, with any meal (including breakfast), this pie makes my day. Which is kind of odd because I am not much of a pie person and I generally prefer chocolate, lemon or cheese desserts. Yet I cannot fathom a world in which I got tired of this pie.

But I still don't really want to make it. Having said that, she won't always be able to make it for me, so while my mom was visiting this week, I asked her make her apple pie with me (for me) for my Family Recipes post. Since I really should have an idea of how to make it. For the future.


Alex helped her (isn't this a great shot?) and I figured wouldn't it be great if my mom makes this pie for me until my daughter is old enough to take over, and I can just beg people for this pie for the rest of my life? Everyone should get to have one dish that they love but never make themselves. Or at least that is what I think. But just in case Alex does not want to, I guess it is good I learn also.

This is a pie that it is best to let sit until totally cool before you slice it. If you get impatient, no big deal, but the the center will be somewhat runny, as you can see to the left. Of course, as you can see to the right, it will taste just fine. Speaking of the runniness, I am kinda sad this pie did not photograph better--I just cannot express enough how incredibly good it is.


This is my submission to July's Family Recipes, hosted by HoneyB over at The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. Even though my mom made and typed this, not me, it is still exactly what I think this event is all about. Discovering, celebrating, and enjoying those recipes that bind a family together. You have until, well, this Saturday at midnight (yes I am late again) to send a submission over to HoneyB.

Here is the recipe, in my mom's words (she even typed it--my notes are italicized):


sour cream crumble top apple pie
recipe by susan t.

crust:
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1/3 C lard (we used unprocessed, roasty tasting lard and it was fabulous)
1/4 C butter (we used unsalted)
1 teas. salt
1 T sugar
about 5 T cold water


filling:
10-12 cooking apples, peeled, cored, & pared (we used very small apples--use common sense and if it looks like the filling is getting full of apples it probably is)
1 16 0z. container sour cream
1 teas. cinnamon
1/2 teas. nutmeg
1/2 teas. salt
3 T flour
1 1/2 C sugar


topping:
1/2 C cold butter
1 cup flour
1/2 C packed brown suger
1 teas cinnamon
dash salt
1/2 C ground pecans

whisk flour and sugar together. cut butter into the flour-sugar mixture. stir in spice & nuts. sprinkle over top of pie.

bake at 350 for at least an hour. ( Mom says it usually takes longer than an hour. The filling should be bubbling, the crust and topping should be browned. She feels, unlike most baking, that with pies underbaking is more of a problem as the center sometimes does not bake through)