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Crumb topping for french apple pie

post #1 of 12
4/13/02 at 2:56pm
Thread Starter 
Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me with the crumb toppng for french apple pies. The recipe I have been using gets soggy very quickly. Would I need to do something different with the apple filling or with the crumb topping, my recipe for topping uses flour, butter and brown sugar. Thanks.
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post #2 of 12
4/13/02 at 5:21pm
I think rolled oats would be a nice addition and take care of the sogginess.
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post #3 of 12
4/14/02 at 5:04am
What recipe are you using for your crumb topping? I use butter, a little flour, brown sugar, vanilla, and lots of cinnamon and a little nutmeg, and mix it with my fingers til it's still got fairly big 'crumbles' but is holding together. Are your pies very juicy? Maybe your topping is absorbing the liquid from the apples as they cook down, in which case adding more thickener to the filling might help.

Now I'll shut up and let our real experts - the bakers - take over!:D
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post #4 of 12
4/15/02 at 8:32am
There could be many reasons why:

You might not be thickening your apples enough (but once you pie cools off how is your filling? Is it thickish or runny?) It your apple filling sets nice then that's not your problem.

You might not be using enough topping, a certain amount will bake down into the top of your apple layer. It's not uncommon to need to double your toppings on a pie or crisp. It's possible your recipe is skimpy. How much topping does your recipe make, 1 c. or more?

It's also possible that your topping has too much butter to flour and sugar so it melts down too much. Bake some of your topping on a sheet pan to test it. Does it remain like a topping/crumb or does it melt down so it looks like a cookie? If it melts down too much then you need to change your recipe.


If you want, post your topping recipe and we should be able to narrow down what's happening from that.
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post #5 of 12
4/17/02 at 12:02am
You can try pre-baking your streusel topping separately before topping off the pie. I do this for my streusel that I put over banana muffins. Crunchy everytime and keeps at room temperature (like cookies do).

I agree with WDB. It'll help us to help you if you post your recipe.
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post #6 of 12
4/18/02 at 9:15am
Thread Starter 

here's the recipe I use

omit butter and top apples with this mixture, 1 c. flour, 1/2 c. firm butter, and 1/2 c. brown sugar, mix until crumbly. I usually double this when I'm making a pie cause I like topping:) Thanks everyone for your help.
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post #7 of 12
4/18/02 at 9:18am
Thread Starter 

I forgot to ask, how do you go about prebaking the topping? thanks.

thanks
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post #8 of 12
4/19/02 at 5:19am
Man I don't have a recipe infront of me to compare, but it looks like too much butter to me. I'd mix with about half that amount of butter.
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post #9 of 12
4/19/02 at 9:10pm
sue
A simple streusel recipe to remember is
1 # butter
1# sugar
2 # flour A.P
cinn to taste
beat butter & sugar ..light and fluffy add flour and cinn on low speed until streusel forms...

pat
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post #10 of 12
4/20/02 at 1:04pm
My recipe for crumb topping is like Patrick's, except I replace a portion of the flour with quick oats and use 1/2 white 1/2 brown sugar. The general rule is equal parts sugar and butter, double the flour.

Sue, since your working with cups and such a small amount, try either decreasing your butter to 1/4 cup(2 oz.) or increasing your flour to 1 3/4 cups and adding 1 more T. of sugar(make sure you pack that brown sugar). To prebake the crumble, just scatter onto a sheetpan in an even layer, bake until golden brown at 350F(about 10 min.) and then when it cools a bit, break up the little clumps into crumbly pieces.
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post #11 of 12
4/20/02 at 3:22pm
Thread Starter 
thanks everyone, I'll give these recipes a try.
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post #12 of 12
4/21/02 at 4:41pm

One more for you, Sue

Crumble topping

1 cup flour
1 cup nibbed almonds
2/3 cup vanilla sugar
a sprinkling of ground cinnamon or cloves (optional)

Mix the ingredients together quickly with your fingertips and pour them over the top of your apples, flattening it evenly by hand.

from: The Art of the Tart
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