I usually keep a bright green bowl of Granny Smith apples as a centerpiece on my breakfast table, and I can’t think of a more perfect fruit to welcome the changing of the seasons. When it comes to the weather in Southeast Georgia, summer often blends with fall, but we hold out hope for a few cool days in the mix. When those days grace us with 70-degree temperatures and a gentle breeze, you can find me on my front porch with a slice of Cinnamon Apple Crumb Pie.   

The star ingredient in this pie is the Granny Smith apple. One of the most versatile apples you can buy, their sweet-tart flavor and crisp texture make them an apple that is as wonderful for cooking and baking as it is to eat out of hand. Tart enough to use in savory applications, but with enough sweetness to shine in baking, they have a strong sour flavor and a bright acidic tang. These apples are incredibly crisp, firm and juicy. 

I bake this pie often in the fall when apples are abundant. Its crunchy topping is nutty and satisfying, and the sweet filling with the flaky crust is the perfect bite. This pie is also convenient to bake when you don’t have two pie crusts handy. My Apple Cinnamon Crumb Pie is easy and fun to bake, and pairs perfectly with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream. I hope you enjoy it, and be sure to follow my blog by visiting SomeKindaGood.com and connect with me on social media for more recipes like these.  

Happy soon-to-be fall, y’all!

Some Kinda Good Cinnamon Apple Crumb Pie

For the filling:

• 1 (9-inch) frozen or homemade pie crust
• 6 cups of thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about 5 large apples)
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the crumble:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 stick of unsalted cold butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a pie dish, prepare crust by pressing it into the dish, crimping edges as you go. In a large bowl, mix the apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined. Add filling to the pie crust. 

In a medium bowl using a pastry blender, two forks or your fingers, combine the flour, butter and sugar until pea-size crumbles form. Crumble the topping over the filling, then sprinkle pecans evenly over the pie. Cover the pie loosely with foil, and bake for 25 minutes. 

Remove the foil, and bake an additional 30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a private chef and the author of the best-selling memoir “Some Kinda Good.” Featured in Forbes, on Food Network and ABC, she writes about Southern, coastal cuisine, locally sourced and in season. Connect with her on social media by liking Some Kinda Good on Facebook, or follow @SKGFoodBlog on Instagram and Twitter. To learn more, visit RebekahLingenfelser.com.