Deep-Dish Sour Cream–Apple Pie with Lemon-Cardamom Streusel
December 22, 2009 posted by Linda Avery
Dede Wilson | Unforgettable Desserts | John Wiley & Sons, 2009 | Serves 8 to 10
This is an extra-deep pie, formed in a springform pan. The sides of the apple pie are more than 2 inches deep, so there’s plenty of filling. The crunchy, buttery brown-sugar crumb on top is lightly accented with cardamom and lemon and is the perfect foil to the lush, rich, sour cream and apple filling. When you slice a big wedge, it’s picture-perfect; guests will think this came from a fancy bakery. There are several do-ahead steps, so take advantage, particularly with two chilling times for the crust.—Dede Wilson
convert Ingredients
For the apple pie crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at cool room temperature, cut into small pieces
5 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
For the apple filling
9 cups peeled, cored and thinly sliced apples (about 10 or 11 apples); use a mixture of Cortland, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sour cream (not low-fat)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the streusel
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
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Method
Make the apple pie crust
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter with the flat paddle attachment on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar gradually and continue to beat on medium-high speed until lightened and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk until well combined. Add the flour and pulse the mixer on and off until it begins to combine, and then run the mixer on medium-low speed just until the dough begins to form. Scrape out onto plastic wrap and use the wrap to help press the dough into a flat disk shape. Wrap the dough thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10-inch round. Use the bottom of a 9-by-3-inch round springform pan as a guide and cut out a 9-inch circle. Assemble the pan with the sides locked into place, and coat the inside with nonstick spray. Transfer the circle of crust to the bottom of the pan. Roll out the remaining dough and cut 2 long strips, each one 17 x 2 inches. Take one strip and fit it into the pan along the side; have the bottom slightly curve in over the bottom crust. Press the lower edge of the strip against the bottom crust to seal. Brush the short, vertical edges of the side strip with water and press the second strip into place, trimming to fit with about 1/2 inch of overlap. Press the overlapping edges well to seal. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Make the apple filling
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Toss together the apple slices and sugar in a large sauté pan. Cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring gently, taking care not to crush the fruit pieces. Cook for about 5 minutes, just until the mixture begins to exude juices and the apples soften just a tiny bit. Remove from the heat, cool slightly, then sprinkle the flour over, and toss gently to coat.
3. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in the sour cream, zest, and vanilla. Fold into the fruit mixture.
4. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and scrape the filling into the crust. It will come right up to the top of the crust. Bake for 15 minutes while you prepare the streusel.
Make the streusel
1. Combine all the ingredients until well blended.
2. After the pie has baked for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 375°F. Squeeze the streusel between your fingers and palms to create clumps ranging in size from small to large grapes and scatter all over the top of the pie. There is a lot of streusel; use it all, gently mounding it in the center.
3. Return the apple pie to the oven and bake for 15 minutes more. Turn the heat down to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes more, or until the streusel is evenly browned and the pie feels firm when gently pressed. If you can see any filling bubbling around the edges, that is a good sign of doneness, but most likely it will be completely covered with streusel.
4. Cool the pan on a rack to allow the filling to thicken and set. Serve the apple pie at room temperature. Store at room temperature for up 1 day.
Tip: Cardamom has a flavor that dominates in recipes where it is used; it typically does not fade to the background in a dish. For an alternative flavor, try this apple pie recipe with cinnamon in its place, and leave the lemon zest out of both the filling and crust. You will have a more typical apple-cinnamon flavor profile, which, while more expected, is equally welcomed.
Recipe © 2009 Dede Wilson. Photo © 2009 John Kernick. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
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That sounds wonderful! I’ve been on a cardamom kick lately.
Pies are not my baking nemesis, but this came out beautifully and was delicious. I like that it is not super-sweet, but has wonderful flavor. I do think that next time I will increase the cardamom by a bit.
Renee, so glad you liked it. I, too, think it could benefit from a bit more cardamom. But all in all, a great pie.
[Tammori Petty] I really enjoyed the pie. I wish the recipe indicated the texture of the filling. I though something went wrong when I saw how loose the it was. After it set completely, it had a firmer texture, which which was a nice change from the traditional apple pie. I preferred even more after it had been refrigerated. Overall, it had a very good taste and I would definitely make it again.
Please check the ingredients list for this recipe. There is no mention of cardamom or lemon zest in either the pie crust or the apple filling. I chose to use cinnamon and had to guess at the amount. (1 tsp cinnamon in the filling was not enough!)
Also, although it appeared to be done judging by the criteria in Step 3 and it baked the extra 10 minutes mentioned in that step, it was NOT done, but I didn’t realize it until hours later when it had completely cooled and I cut it to serve it. The bottom crust was, um, gooey.
All in all, I would choose another apple pie recipe next time. Sorry! I hope you accept this comment as constructive criticism as it is intended.
Hi Liz, you’re comments are most welcome. And sorry the pie didn’t work for you.
If you look at the ingredients list, you’ll see lemon zest listed under the pie filling and cardamom and lemon zest listed under the streusel. In step 3 of “Make the apple filling,” you’ll see you’re instructed to add the zest along with the sour cream and vanilla. And in step 1 of “Make the streusel,” you’ll see you’re instructed to combine all the streusel ingredients (flour, sugar, butter, lemon zest, and cardamom).
Regarding the pie not being done, do you have an oven thermometer that you use regularly? I find that without one (I use two), that it’s almost impossible to accurately bake a dish. Ovens can be as much as 75 degrees hotter or colder than specified.
Hi, David,
Wow! Thanks for your fast reply. I was assuming that the dish was intended to have cardamom (cinnamon) in the filling and possibly in the crust. Sorry, my mistake. I do have a thermometer but haven’t checked the temp lately. Will do. Maybe I will try again with cardamom and lemon zest.
Kind regards,
Liz
Liz, we aim to please! I hope the second pie turns out better.
I’m not a very experienced baker, but I decided to get serious on this one and follow the recipe to a “T.” Wow, what a pie. I served my pie with Hagen Dazs vanilla bean ice cream, but it can easily stand alone. The flavors and aromas are perfect–thank goodness I invested in Dede Wilson’s book…
The crust recipe barely made enough crust for my liking, I think next time I might increase the recipe. I found it helpful to press my dough into the larger than 9-inch round and two 8-by-2-inch strips before even putting it in the fridge for the first time. If not, you must work very quickly with this dough to keep it from warming up too fast when you’re rolling it out. As a first-time crust-maker, it took me a few attempts to get it right, but it worked well in the end with lots of patience.
I used a combination of fresh farmer’s market Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady Apples ( about 9 total) and found this combination worked nicely. Th cooking time was perfect. Now is a great time to invest in an oven thermometer, as you won’t be able to trust your oven’s setting during the two temperature changes.
This is such an elegant apple pie, and hands down one of the best I’ve tasted, let alone made. It looks and tastes like something I would have picked up at a bakery. You absolutely must use a spring form pan. Other than the melt-in-your mouth taste, the pan is what makes this pie a cut above.
I adore cardamom and agree that it could stand some more, but I don’t think I’ll be altering my recipe in this respect: the cardamom does its job, contributing to the fabulous aroma, and I don’t want any flavors competing with that rich and wonderful sour cream filling. I might experiment with fresh vanilla next time. The streusel topping did its job faithfully. The crust was flaky and tasty, but it did get a touch soggy for my liking, so it might be worth experimenting with a crunchier crust recipe. Whatever you do, don’t alter this recipe the first time you make it. Leave just as is, use patience and only the freshest ingredients, and you won’t be sorry.