Autumn Apple Filling 3-Way

This is my go-to apple filling for pie, Dutch apple pie, crisp, and pandowdy. A mixture of apple varieties gives the finished dessert both soft, saucy apples and slices that retain their shape.

  • Filling

    Ingredients

    • 5 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

    • Grated zest of 1 orange

    • Grated zest of 1 lemon

    • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

    • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

    • ½ cup granulated sugar

    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

    Brown Sugar-Butter Syrup

    • ½ cup unsalted butter

    • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

    • ½ cup granulated sugar

    • ½ cup packed brown sugar

    • ¼ cup apple cider, preferably, or water

    Directions

    1. Prepare the apples.
      Peel and core the apples, then cut them into slices or substantial wedges. Place them in a very large bowl.

    2. Season the apples.
      Add the orange zest, lemon zest, orange juice, lemon juice, ½ cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss thoroughly so every piece of apple is coated.

    3. Make the syrup.
      Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

    4. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and apple cider. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until smooth and slightly thickened.

    5. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool for several minutes.

    6. Combine the filling.
      Pour the warm syrup over the seasoned apples and toss thoroughly.

    The filling is now ready to use for Dutch apple pie, apple crisp, pandowdy, or a traditional pie.

    For a standard 9-inch pie, mound the apples generously in the crust. Because 5 pounds makes a substantial amount of filling, depending on the size and depth of your pie plate, you may have enough for more than one dessert.

    For Apple Crisp

    Oatmeal Crumble Topping

    This topping is specifically for an apple crisp, not the Dutch apple pie.

    Ingredients

    • 1½ cups all-purpose flour

    • ¾ cup granulated sugar

    • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar

    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

    • 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

    • ½ pound cold unsalted butter, diced

    Directions

    Combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and oatmeal.

    Add the cold diced butter and work it into the dry ingredients with a mixer, pastry cutter, or your fingertips until the mixture forms coarse crumbs with small pieces of butter remaining.

    Spread generously over the prepared apple filling.

    Bake at 350°F until the topping is deeply golden and the apple filling is bubbling around the edges, roughly 50 to 60 minutes, depending on the depth of the dish.

    For CRISP: This is the oatmeal-based topping.

    For Dutch Apple Pie

    Extra-Heavy Dutch Crumble Topping

    This makes double the usual amount of crumble, because skimpy streusel is a crime against apples. 😂

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour

    • 1 cup packed brown sugar

    • ½ cup granulated sugar

    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

    • 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

    Directions

    Combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

    Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender, fork, or your fingertips until you have a mixture of coarse crumbs and larger buttery clumps.

    Fill a prepared bottom pie crust generously with the apple filling.

    Pile the Dutch crumble over the apples, pressing very lightly so some of the larger clumps remain intact.

    You may not need every last crumb depending on the depth of the pie, but the point here is a thick, substantial Dutch topping, not a polite dusting.

    Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then lower the oven to 350°F and continue baking until the filling is bubbling and the crumble is browned, approximately 40–55 minutes more.

    If the crumble begins getting too dark before the apples are done, loosely tent the pie with foil.

    Let the pie cool substantially before cutting so the filling has time to thicken.

    For DUTCH: Use the butter-flour-sugar crumble above. No oatmeal.

    For Apple Pandowdy

    Puff-Pastry Pandowdy with Baker’s Sugar

    Ingredients

    • Prepared apple filling

    • 1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed according to package directions

    • 1 egg

    • 1 tablespoon water

    • Baker’s sugar, for sprinkling

    Directions

    Heat the oven to 400°F.

    Transfer the prepared apple filling to a deep baking dish.

    Unfold the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Depending on the shape of your baking dish, either:

    • leave the pastry largely intact and trim it to fit, or

    • cut it into rough squares or rectangles for a more traditional, rustic pandowdy top.

    Lay the puff pastry over the apples, allowing a little space between pieces if you've cut it up so steam can escape.

    Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Lightly brush the pastry with the egg wash.

    Sprinkle the top generously with Baker’s Sugar.

    Bake for approximately 20–25 minutes, until the puff pastry has risen and is beginning to turn golden.

    Then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking until the apples are bubbling vigorously and the pastry is deeply golden, approximately another 25–35 minutes.

    The Pandowdy Part

    Once the pastry has puffed and browned, use the back of a spoon or spatula to gently press portions of the pastry down into the bubbling apple juices.

    You don't want to pulverize it. The whole charm of pandowdy is the irregular landscape: crisp sugar-crusted pastry on top, buttery pastry edges submerged in apple syrup underneath. 🍎🥐

    Return it to the oven for another 5–10 minutes if you want the pressed-in pastry to absorb a little more of the filling.

    Serve warm.

    For PANDOWDY: Pepperidge Farm puff pastry + egg wash + Baker’s Sugar. No crumble topping.