I’m still on the search for a flaky whole wheat pie dough recipe, if you have one please share. I’ve found different ones that were fairly simple, which I enjoyed, but they didn’t taste quite like my kind of pie. Maybe it’s me but you can tell when certain people make food. Like I know instantly the difference between my mother, grandmother and roommate’s style of cooking even if they made the same dish. Every time I attempt to make a whole wheat pie dough, it tastes more like a simple butter cookie to me. I’ll be honest my initial thought was that I had lost my pie touch, I’m not saying it wasn’t edible, it was just more pate sablee than pate brisee. I’m determined to get it right, no better timing than Fall to make a lot of pie!
It’s the perfect season for this red cloth, my cousin brought me from her trip to Romani. Matches the bright berries in the filling.
It’s looking like this was a dessert pure of experimentation, like this topping. It’s crunchy, due in part to the steel-cut oats, I suggest using rolled. I have noticed that I don’t tend to make the same crumb topping for a pie, this one is the base I tend to use, then add ingredients depending on what I have on hand or am in the mood for.
Brown Butter Apple and Berry Whole Wheat Crumb Pie
Whole Wheat Pie Dough
3 cups – Whole Wheat Flour
4 teaspoons – Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon – Salt
1 cup – Unsalted Butter {cold and sliced}
8 – 10 tablespoons – Ice Cold Water
Recipe
In large bowl, stir flour, sugar, and salt together. Using fingers, cut in slices of butter until the largest pieces resemble peas. Pour the water into the mixture, one tablespoon at a time, just until moistened enough to hold the dough together. Use a fork to stir the dough after you’ve added each tablespoon of the water. Quickly form the crust into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use {at least 30 minutes}.
Brown Butter Apple and Berry Filling
1/2 cup – Unsalted butter
Pinch of Salt
3 teaspoons – Brandy {can replace with whiskey or bourbon}
5 cups – Green Apple
1 cup – Mixed Frozen Berries
1/4 cup – Pomegranate Seeds
1/2 cup – Dark Brown Sugar {packed}
1/2 teaspoon – Pure Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon – Ground Cinnamon
Recipe {Inspired by Top with Cinnamon}
Pre-heat oven to 375*F.
In a medium saute pan, melt the butter. Cook over a medium heat until it foams up and smells nutty. Add the brandy and salt to the skillet and stir in. Heat on medium until it starts to bubble, reduce to a low heat and leave to caramelize. Meanwhile cut the apple into 1/2 chunks, and combine with berries. Once the caramel has been cooking for about 3 minutes stir in the vanilla, then add the fruit mixture. Leave to cook on a low heat until apple becomes slightly tender {about 15 minutes}. Allow filling to cool slightly, before filling pie shell. In the meantime, roll you chilled pie dough into an 8″ pie plate. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
Crumble Topping
3 tablespoons – Unsalted Butter {melted}
1/4 cup – Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
1/2 cup – Whole Wheat Flour
2/3 cups - Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats 2 tablespoons – Dark Brown Sugar 1/2 teaspoon – Ground CinnamonRecipe {Adapted from Top with Cinnamon}
Melt the butter. In a medium bowl, combine, the flour, sugar, oats, coconut and cinnamon, then add in the melted butter into the dry ingredients. Scatter this mixture over the apple berry mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown {about 50 minutes – rotating halfway}.
