The Sour Cream Apple Pie

To know me is to know that in my world of pie, there is really only one pie — the golden lady, the duchess, the dowager queen — please allow me to introduce, once again: The Sour Cream Apple Pie.

[Pauses for roar of applause.]

This pie is the greatest. It's buttery, it's cinnamon-y, it's crusty, it's creamy, and of course it's apple-y. It's easy, it's fast, it smells amazing, and I don't know that I've ever served it without having it receiving curtsies or salutes. It just happens.

This recipe was first given to me by my friend Kristin Swanson, and I think she got it from Bon Appetit magazine, over fifteen years ago now. Andy and I have made it probably thirty or forty times by now, and we try to put it together several times each fall. If one person does the apples and the other does the topping and filling, you can have it put together in fifteen minutes. This is its creamy filling, being mixed. I used raw sugar, and that takes a bit longer to dissolve, but don't you love the way it looks, those golden freckles?

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Topping

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 t. cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour

Filling

1 1/3 c. sour cream
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 or 5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Pie crust (you can make your own, or use a pre-made one from the refrigerator section of the grocery store — I always do) fitted into a deep-dish 9" or 10" pie plate and chilled

To make the topping, in a bowl blend the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and flour until the mixture is combined well. Cover and chill the topping.

To make the filling, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, and flour until the mixture is smooth. Add the peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples and stir the filling and apples together.

Spoon the filling into the chilled shell and crumble the topping evenly over it. Bake the pie on a baking sheet in the middle of a pre-heated 350-degree oven, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. (You might need to put a bit of tinfoil on top of the pie during the last 15 minutes to prevent the top from burning.) Transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely. Dig it.

I hope the pie will keep you good company while I take a little break here! Andy has next week off so we are going to hang out, do some stuff, see some sights, have some fun, and finish eating this.

See you soon!!!

Comments

[Laura]

Dear Alicia, the pie looks superb and so does my ornament kit! I got it in the mail yesterday. You always amaze me with your talent for all things crafty. Thank you!

[Renna]

"[Pauses for roar of applause.]"

Shouldn't that be 'apple-ause'?

Nyuk, nyuk. ;-Þ Lame, I know, but seriously, I can hardly wait to make the pie. The only ingredient I don't have on hand is the refrigerated pie crust, and I'm not so good with pie crusts, so I think I'll wait and buy one. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

[Amy]

Hi Alicia,
Have a fun break. I will make the pie. Can't wait! I love your images you take!!!

[jiru]

I got my kit yesterday and can't wait to get started! I think this apple pie is just the thing I need today. Thank you, thank you!

[Sue]

This looks yummy, I will have to try this recipe.

[louise]

Can you get golden caster sugar in the US? It's raw sugar, but very fine...and it imbues everything with a beautiful colour and taste.

[Kim G.]

Must...have...pie.

[Emily]

Does your pie ever turn out soggy? My sister gave me this recipe last year and the last time I made it, there was apple soup...lovely on ice cream but soupy nonetheless. It is still the only pie for me. Well, at least fruit. Thank you for your wittiness and beguiling craftiness!

[Michele C]

I was just waiting for your post today. I bought the mac apples and butter last night in anticipation of your recipe today. I can't wait to try it.
-- Michele

[angeljoy]

GR-R-R-O-A-NNNN

[hadley]

I love sour cream apple pie...

[Brooke]

The true signifier of fall, the apple pie! I haven't tried the crumb crust before, it looks absolutely delicious. Thanks for the recipe, I can't wait to try it out.

[Lauren]

I don't generally love apple pie, it's a cooked fruit thing, but this I'm gonna have to try. It looks great, although, perhaps not as great as my Ice Skating Afternoon kit, which arrived today! THANK YOU. Have a great week.

[daphne]

I made this the other day but I topped it with Ina Garten's apple crisp topping... it was amazing.

[sarah]

enjoy your time away together! We'll miss you! (but it will be ever so lovely when you get back!)

and SERIOUSLY. Salumi!! =)

[amigurumigirl]

ooooOOOooOOOooh thank you thank you thank you thank you... have a great week just hangin out!

[Max]

Thank you for the pie recipe! I'll be trying it next week - we've started a tradition at our house of having desserts on Monday night, because Mondays are hard. This should give us a lift ;). I will report back...

[Terriaw]

I have never tried this kind of pie, so thank you for sharing the recipe. It looks delicious.

[heather bradley]

oh, yum, you are a goddess! thank you for the recipe! i have never made a pie, but darn tootin' one is in my future, my very near future! you just keep stretchin' my world (and waistline)! xo

[Lisa]

Oh, man! I made this for a special dessert today and was it awesome! Thanks so much for posting this! The Mr. came home and stopped dead in his tracks. "What smells so good?" Was priceless.

Thank you!

[Debbie]

I live a ferry ride from Seattle. By far, the very best italian restaurant with SO MUCH atmosphere is Bucca de Beppo. If you call and make reservations, there is ONE table in the kitchen you can reserve where the cooks talk to you while they are making their DELICIOUS food. Also, check out Earthwise Architectural Salvage just south of the Mariners field if you want to go to heaven in old doors, knobs, mailboxes, just everything. They have a website too earthwise-salvage.com. Pure heaven.

[Carolyn A.]

Enjoy yourselves! Come back with some real good stories, ok? xxoo

[marne]

I haven't made a pie in forever, but I bought some apples and sour cream tonight, and this pie is my big weekend plan!

[Amanda]

I am ALL over this. Oh wait, dangit I am shy two granny smiths. Would have been one if I hadn't eaten one an hour ago. Okay, I gotta pick up sour cream too. So maybe I'm not all over this immediately, but next time I go to the store, for sure.

Have a truly, truly wonderful time with Andy next week. Enjoy fall. Really. Focus on it. Make an effort. XO.

[Mary]

Wow! This looks so yummy! I make dessert every Sunday for my family and this will be it for this week. Thanks for the recipe!