Skillet Apple Pie with Pecan Streusel

Makes 1 10-inch pie

Pastry Dough

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour               

2 Tbsp. sugar                                     

3/4 tsp. salt

1 stick+2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter

4–6 Tbsp. ice water

Directions

1. In a large bowl, with a pastry blender or in a food processor, blend or pulse together flour, sugar, salt, and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. 
2. Add 2 Tbsp. ice water and toss with a fork or pulse until incorporated. Add enough remaining ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, tossing or pulsing to incorporate, until mixture begins to form a dough. 
3. On a work surface smear dough in 3 or 4 forward motions with heel of hand to slightly develop gluten in flour and make dough easier to work with. Form dough into a ball and flatten to form a 1-inch-thick disk. 
4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 30 min.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 15-inch round (1/8-inch thick) and fold into quarters for ease of handling. Unfold dough in a well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet, easing to fit and letting dough overhang rim of skillet.

Topping

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened                   

2 Tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

Directions

1. In a small bowl with your fingertips blend butter, brown sugar, and flour until smooth and blend in nuts. Chill topping, covered.

Filling

Ingredients

3 lbs. Golden Delicious or                             

Jonagold apples (about 6)                                          

1/2 cup packed brown sugar                          

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

3/4 tsp. cinnamon      

2 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Peel and core apples. 
3. Cut apples into 1/2-inch wedges and, in a bowl, toss with remaining filling ingredients.
4. Spoon filling into pie shell and fold pastry overhang over filling, leaving center uncovered. Bake pie in middle of oven 1 hour and remove from oven.
5. Crumble topping over center of pie, breaking up any large chunks. Brush crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. 
6. Bake pie in middle of oven 30 minutes more, or until crust is golden and filling is bubbling. Cool pie on a rack. Serve warm with ice cream.   

This recipe is from Charmaine Dupré’s memoir, Life Around the Table: Living the Spirit of Hospitality at Home and Abroad, released on May 1 and available at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com. For signed copies, Dupré can be reached at cdupre@centurytel.net. Read an excerpt from the book, the chapter "Cast Iron Cooking" in our May 2021 issue.