From Nerdy to Thirty: Apple Cranberry Brown Butter Pecan Crumble Pie

How do you like dem apples?

I recently split an order of apples with a friend who is a member of Bountiful Baskets farm share. My portion was 10 pounds of small, ripe, delicious Fuji apples. I needed to find a use for them, and had everything on hand to make a pie or a crumble. I asked my hubby which he was in the mood for, and he said both! So I came up with a hybrid pie crumble that was delicious. Unfortunately I'd need to make 4 more to use up the apples, so the rest will probably become applesauce for the KLAW.

FILLING

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
5 cups sliced peeled apples (I required 7 of my small ones)
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Some excellent compost being generated there

CRUST

1 frozen deep dish pie crust

TOPPING

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
1/4 cup cold butter
1/3 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 400°F. Place cookie sheet in oven to heat.

In small saucepan, cook 1/4 cup butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and lightly browned. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

My Quality Control Manager

While the butter is cooling, beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the egg with wire whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 tablespoons flour and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in cooled butter, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Fold apples and cranberries into the mixture. Pour filling into a frozen pie crust.

To make the topping, mix the dry ingredients except walnuts in a medium bowl. Add the butter in pats and cut in using a pastry blender or fork until crumbly; stir in the walnuts. **Add more butter if necessary. I did not have a pastry blender so I used a potato masher and my hands. Sprinkle topping over the filled pie.

Bake on cookie sheet 20 minutes. Place sheet of foil over pie (crust and topping) to prevent excessive browning. Bake 30 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.