Gerry's Apple Pie

I really need to share this one with you. I think this is as good as it gets. I've made apple pie with crumb topping for years. I made the final changes a few years ago by adding syrupy cider. When our kids were little I always made apple pie with crumb topping and I sprinkled the top with chocolate chips before baking, they loved it.

Ingredients

Pie crust - see other recipes

Filling

8 cups sliced apples I used Melrose or Jonathan
3/4-1 cup sugar
2 T. butter in small pieces
1/4 c flour
1 tsp. of cinnamon
2 cups apple cider boiled down to a rather thick syrup, you?ll need about 4 T. freeze the rest.

Crumb topping

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup butter

Instructions

For the Pie

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1 t. cinnamon and 2 T. flour.
Sprinkle over apples.
with 2 tablespoons butter and set aside.
Preheat oven to 4000.
Add 1/4 c flour to apple mixture.
Sprinkle cider syrup over apple mixture and put in pie shell.

For the Crumb Topping

Put sugar and flour in food processor.
Add cold butter in small chunks.
Pulse to large crumbs.

To Finish

Crumble crumb topping over all.
I use it all and press down lightly over apples.
Put a handful of chocolate chips on it for the kids.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, until pie is bubbly.
Cool on a wire rack to room temperature or you just can?t wait to try it.

Notes

I make a double batch of the crumb topping so I can use it as a topping for the Blueberry Muffins somewhere in this book. It freezes well.