Nourishing Apple Treat (Printable Recipe)

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Crust

01 - 1 1/2 cups cold whole wheat pastry flour, gently scooped and leveled
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 8 tablespoons cold salted butter, diced into small cubes
04 - 1 tablespoon honey
05 - 1 teaspoon vodka or white vinegar
06 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - 1/4 cup water with ice

→ For the Filling

08 - 2 pounds Honeycrisp apples, skinned and cut into thin slices
09 - 1 Granny Smith apple, skinned and cut into thin slices
10 - 1/3 cup honey
11 - 2 teaspoons cinnamon
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
13 - 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 3 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

→ For the Streusel

16 - 2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
17 - 2 tablespoons honey
18 - 3 tablespoons salted butter
19 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
20 - Pinch of salt

→ Optional

21 - 1 beaten egg for brushing the crust

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Combine flour and salt in food processor with three quick pulses. Drop in cold butter chunks and pulse until they're broken down to pea-sized bits. Add honey, vanilla, and your vinegar or vodka, then pulse 3 times. While running the processor on low, drizzle ice water in by tablespoons just until you see a ball starting to come together.
02 - Drop dough onto plastic wrap and shape into a ball, using your palm to press if needed. Wrap it up and flatten into a disc shape. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
03 - Get your oven hot at 425°F (220°C). Mix all your apple slices with the honey, spices, salt, and flour until each slice gets a good coating.
04 - Put all your streusel stuff in the food processor and give it a few pulses just until it looks damp and sandy, with clumps starting to form.
05 - Take a big piece of parchment paper, dust it with flour, and roll your chilled dough out on it. Make sure it's big enough to hang over your pie plate by at least 1/2 inch all around. Use the parchment to help you flip it into your pie plate.
06 - Dump your apple mix into the crust and gently push it down. Snip off extra dough and pinch the edges to make them pretty. Scatter streusel all over the top. If you want a shiny edge, brush some beaten egg around the crust.
07 - Set your pie on a cookie sheet to catch any drips. Bake at 425°F for 25 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350°F and cook another 40-50 minutes until the crust turns golden and the filling bubbles. Cover the edges with foil or a pie shield if they're getting too dark. Let it cool all the way before you slice it.

# Additional Notes:

01 - Always keep your ingredients super cold for the flakiest crust. Throw an ice cube in your water bowl to keep it extra cold.
02 - Don't mess with the dough too much or you'll end up with a tough crust.
03 - When your dough starts feeling warm or soft, pop it back in the fridge to firm up.
04 - No food processor? No problem. Just mix flour and salt in a bowl, chill it, cut the butter in with a pastry tool, then stir in wet stuff by hand.
05 - This crust works great doubled up if you need a top and bottom crust.
06 - Want some crunch? Toss some chopped walnuts or pecans into your streusel mix.
07 - Making a deeper pie? Use 3 pounds of Honeycrisp plus 1 Granny Smith and bump up to 4 tablespoons of flour.
08 - In a rush? Just grab a premade crust from the store.

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