By Amber Marie Arevalos

During the holidays, most of us tend to overdue it on the sweet treats and holiday classics.  From turkeys to tamales, we all have a holiday classic dish that reminds us of home, but there is one holiday favorite everyone can agree is a staple during the holidays.  That is the famous apple pie!  Store-bought is fine, but to test your skills and create a personalized pie, here is a basic recipe that’s almost foolproof.  Not only can you modify the recipe to fit those in your family who have allergies, but you can also determine how sweet and how soft you want your apples.

Ingredients

• 1 of your favorite pie crust recipes or a premade crust
• 5 large granny smith apples
• Zest of 1 lemon, about 1–2 teaspoons
• Juice of half a lemon, about 2 teaspoons
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1–1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the Crumble

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 stick cold butter cut into small pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, make the crumble by combining all the dry crumble ingredients. Toss the ingredients together to evenly combine. Combine the cold butter into the dry ingredients by squeezing and breaking it up with your fingers until crumbs form. Cover with saran wrap and put in the freezer.

3. Peel and core the granny smith apples. Slice the apples into slices that are 1/8″ thick and 1″ long. In a large mixing bowl, toss the apple slices with the lemon zest and lemon juice. Then, add in the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 coconut sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss to evenly combine.

4. Take the pie crust and pour in the apple mixture. The apples should be about 1/4″–1/2″ taller than the edge of the pie pan.

5. Take the crumb topping out of the freezer. Take a knife and break up into large pieces. Then, use your fingers to break into smaller crumb pieces, using medium pressure to press into an even layer to the pie.

6. Place the pie plate on a parchment-lined baking sheet to protect your oven if it bubbles over. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then lower the oven to 350 degrees and bake for another 35-40 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden and the pie is bubbling.

7. Allow it to cool at room temperature uncovered. Serve at room temperature. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

NUTRITION per slice
Calories: 276
Fat: 13g
Protein: 3g     
Carbohydrates: 38g