Apple Crumb Pie

(Courtesy of Family Circle)

Ingredients:
1 single pie crust (homemade or store bought)
CRUMB:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. packed light-brown sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch ground cloves
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
1/3 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
FILLING:
6 Golden Delicious apples (2 3/4 lbs.), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch dice
3/4 c. packed light-brown sugar
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Arrange a rack in the lowest slot of your oven.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll out pastry to an 11 inch circle and fit into a 9 inch pie plate.  Decoratively crimp edge.  Refrigerate until you are ready to add filling.

Crumb: combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and cloves in bowl.  Rub in butter with fingertips until crumbly.  Stir in nuts, if using.

Filling: in a large bowl, toss together apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and cloves.

Spoon filling into pie shell, mounding slightly in the center.  Top filling with crumb topping.  Place on small foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees; bake 30 minutes more, until fruit is tender.  Loosely tent pie with aluminum foil during last 20 minutes.  Cool for at least 1 1/2 hours (can be made a day ahead.  Cover pie and store at room temperature).  Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.