Video: A step-by-step guide to making apple crumble pie

Apple crumble pie is one dessert which knows no season – perfect with a dollop of vanilla ice cream in the summers, warm and 'cinnamony' for the winters. 

Want to try baking an apple crumble pie from scratch at home? We spoke to Chef Praveen Kumar Reddy, a Chef de partie at Social House in Dubai mall, who explained the four steps to make an apple crumble pie at home.

"First we make the dough for the short crust pastry, then the apple filling or apple compote, next is the almond frangipane to layer the base, and, finally, the almond crumble for the topmost layer."

Here's a step-by-step guide:

For the short crust pastry

Ingredients:

147gms butter

5 gms granulated sugar

23 gms egg

228 gms flour

Method:

1. Mix butter and sugar until sugar dissolves. This method is called 'creaming' in baking.

2. Now add egg and mix well.

3. Finally, add the flour in three batches and knead it. 

4. Rest the dough for one hour in the chiller. This makes the dough tough so it can be rolled out uniformly and baked.

5. Now roll the dough to 3mm and line a pie base.

6. Add some dry beans on top to weigh the dough down. This ensures that the base has an even thickness as it bakes.

7. Now bake at 160 degrees Celsius (320°F) for 18 minutes or light golden colour.

Apple filling

Ingredients:

1.2 kgs green apple

7 gms cinnamon powder

111 gms brown sugar

11 gms potato starch

55 ml water

Method:

• Peel the apple and cut into dices.

• In a pan, cook the apples with cinnamon powder and brown sugar.

• Dissolve potato starch in water and add to the cooked apples, then mix well and remove from heat.

• Set aside to cool.

Almond frangipani

Ingredients:

33 gms butter

33 gms icing sugar

33 gms egg

7 gms flour

33 gms almond powder

Method:

• Cream the butter and sugar until the sugar dissolves

• Add the egg and mix well.

• Now add flour and almond powder and mix well.

Almond crumble

Ingredients:

89 gms butter

111 gms sugar

111 gms flour

111 gms almond powder

Method:

1. Melt the butter.

2. Using your hands, mix it with sugar, flour and almond powder to make a crumble texture.

To assemble and bake:

1. In the pie mould spread a uniform layer of the almond frangipani over the base.

2. Add cooked apple mix on top and spread it to form an even layer.

3. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 45 to 55 minutes. The pie should be done when it has a deep golden crust.

4. Let it cool in a chiller for 3 to 4 hours, this helps you to cut it easily. 

To serve, make it warm and serve with a dollop of ice cream.