Rustic Deep-Dish Honey Apple Pie with Date and Oat Crumble Topping

Fresh from the oven!

   I absolutely love this time of the year in the Russian River Valley! The weather has chilled, the wine grapes are all harvested, and there are still a few apples clinging to the trees here and there. This recipe came together because I was recently visiting a dear friend with some amazing old heirloom Gravenstein apple trees in her yard! I came home with a big basket filled with fresh late-season fruit. This simple recipe does not require any fancy crust design skills, just a large spring-form pan to press the crust into. The added dates in the crumble topping provide a deep caramel flavor that simply can't be beat. One more thing, just in case I forgot to mention it: This pie is free of refined sugars! Simply sweet apples, local honey, and dates!
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Freshly-prepared buttery crust ready to roll...

Be sure to roll out the crust large enough to go up the sides of your spring-form pan...

The crust is all pressed in and ready to fill. Place the crust in the fridge while you prepare the fruit...

The apples are peeled and cored. Time for the next step...

Freshly-grated cinnamon for the apples...

Be sure to grind the cinnamon nice and smooth for maximum fragrance and flavor! :)

Combine the sliced apples and cinnamon with some local honey...

Prepare the crumble topping while the apples are absorbing the cinnamon and honey flavors...

The crumble topping is ready to go! Time for the oven...

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a real treat! :)

Rustic Deep Dish Honey Apple Pie with Date and Oat Crumble Topping

Begin with preparing the pie crust. Here is my recipe below:
Basic Pie Crust
Yield 1 crust

1 cup                     flour
1 stick                   chilled butter
1 Tbsp                  cold water

Place the flour in the bowl of your mixer. Using the paddle attachment begin mixing the flour on medium-low speed. Dice the chilled butter and begin adding it to the flour as it continues to turn in the bowl. Gradually increase the speed on the mixer, and continue adding the butter until it is all in the bowl. The butter and flour will begin to combine into a crumbly texture. Add a bit of the cold water to the mixture as it is turning in the bowl. The mixture will begin to form a loose ball of dough. Shut off the mixer when this happens, and turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap the dough in plastic. Place it in the fridge to chill until you're ready to roll it!

​Prepare the crumble topping and place in the fridge to keep chilled until ready for use...
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​Date and Oat Crumble Topping

1/2  cup                    rolled oats
1/2  cup                    flour
1/2  cup                    diced and chilled butter
1/2  cup                    chopped dates
​1/2 cup                     chopped pecans
1/2  cup                    local honey

Combine all of the crumble topping ingredients in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle, and mix on high speed until the ingredients just start to come together. Be sure not to over-mix everything. You do not want the gluten in the flour to develop. A brief mixing period keeps your topping nice and crumbly! 

Apple Filling

Peel and slice enough apples to fill your spring-form pan.
Place them in a large mixing bowl. I used about 3 cups of peeled and sliced apples.
Add the freshly-ground cinnamon (I used about 2 tablespoons of freshly-ground cinnamon)
Toss the apples and cinnamon with some quality local honey and 1 Tbsp of tapioca starch or wheat flour for a bit of thickening.

​*I added about 1/2 cup of honey to the apples. Your taste may vary, depending on the sweetness of the apples used. Feel free to adjust the sweetness to your liking.

Assembly Directions:
Prepare the pie crust, roll it out and press it into a spring-form pan and place it in the fridge to chill.
Prepare the crumble topping and place in the fridge to keep chilled.
Prepare the apple filling.
Place the apple filling evenly into your chilled crust.
Spread the crumble topping evenly over the top of the pie.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour until everything is nice and bubbly. :)
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a real treat. Enjoy!
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