Hey everybody! Shaina has requested this recipe, and since I love being able to print up recipes from her blog, I decided to post it on my blog. I'll work on adding my other favorites, plus any requests! The recipe is pretty involved, I know, but it turns out so great its totally worth it. The cornmeal in the struesel may sound a little strange, (I thought so) but it gives it a nice nutty texture. I love how the mix of apples and the cream really helps mellow out the tartness, and precooking the apples helps them be perfectly cooked every time! The recipe is from " The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook", which is my favorite cookbook.

DUTCH APPLE PIE

SINGLE-CRUST PIE DOUGH
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, chilled
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water (I use more for cooking in Colorado!)

1. Process the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter small pieces of shortening over the top and continue to process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter small pieces of the butter over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula, until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does. Form the dough into a 4-inch disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
3. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it into a 12-inch circle and fitting it into a pie plate. Trim, fold, and crimp the edges and freeze the unbaked pie crust until firm, about 30 minutes, before filling or baking.
4. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the chilled crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake until the pie dough looks dry and is light in color, 25-30 minutes. Transfer the crust to a wire rack and remove the weights and foil. (For a fully baked crust, remove the pie weights and foil and continue to bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, about 12 minutes longer.)


STRUESEL:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup pack brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon fine-ground cornmeal
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted

FILLING:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 pounds Gala apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. For the streusel: Mix the flour, sugars, and cornmeal together, then drizzle with butter, and stir to combine.
3. For the filling: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the apples have begun to break down, about 12 minutes.
4. Transfer the apples to a large bowl using a slotted spoon, leaving the apple juices behind in the pot. Add the cream to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the cream is thick and sticky and has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Toss the thickened cream with the cooked apples.
5. Spread the apple filling in the hot, partially baked crust. Sprinkle with the streusel. Bake until the crust and streusel have browned, about 25 minutes. Enjoy!