Follow our three simple steps to producing a guaranteed crowd-pleaser
As the air becomes crisper, the leaves yellower and the temperatures slightly cooler, we’re now entering (in our humble opinion) the best period for Swedish cooking – harvest time. With this time of the year comes Swedish apples, a versatile fruit with as many uses as varieties. However, although apples are delicious as puree on breakfast porridge, in a kale salad with walnuts or to just eat as they are, one can’t get away from the fact that they probably do best in a freshly baked pie. Because honestly, it wouldn't feel like autumn without a Swedish apple pie.
There are many examples of world known pies where the apples dominate, such as the tarte tatin of the French, the Austrian apple strudel and the trendy puff pastry apple pizza. If you happen to be an ambitious baker, you’ve probably tried baking an apple rose tart or ventured into a checkerboard-patterned American pie. Yet it doesn’t have to be more complicated than the Swedish classic: apple crumble pie. With only three simple steps it is difficult to fail on this one. No quirks, no frills – just a vanishingly good crumble pie.
Ingredients
Serves 6
For the filling
6 large or 10 small apples (organic and Swedish)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar
For the crumb crust
1 dl oatmeal
2 dl flour
0.75 dl sugar
125 g cold butter, diced into small pieces
1 tsp salt
For serving
2.5 dl crème fraîche
1 vanilla pod
Method
Preheat the oven to 215°C, then peel, core and cut the apples into wedges. Put them in a bowl and cover with cinnamon and brown sugar. Toss around until all apple wedges are covered, then spread them evenly in the bottom of a greased pie pan.
Combine all the ingredients for the crumb crust, mixing in the butter with your finger tips so it begins to form crumbs. Then sprinkle it over the apples slices. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden.
Meanwhile, whisk the crème fraîche fluffy with an electric whisk. Scrape out the vanilla pod and season the whipped crème fraîche with the seeds.
Once it's golden brown, enjoy the apple crumble pie while still warm and top with the whipped crème fraîche for the final, finishing touch.