Apple Crumble Pie

Ahhh the apple pie that was suppose to be part of the feast... Maybe next year....
Normally we would have this delightful dessert since apples are abundant this time of year. My cousins would eat this with vanilla ice cream... Apple ala Mode! Yummm. Traditionally, we would make the 2 crusted apple pie. But with the time constraint and the lack of helping hands, I have been making Apple Crumble for three years now. When I discovered this, it was heaven sent for me. I usually hate rolling the dough and fitting it on to the pie plate. I used to have a difficult time making an even leveled dough. One side would always be lopsided or thinner. But having baked a lot of pies (I can't count them anymore), I have somehow mastered by now. :)

Tips in making pie crusts:

1) Use cold lard or butter instead of soften or melted.
2) Flaky crusts are made when bits of lard or butter is layered between flour then melts when baked.
3) Add 2 tablespoons of cold water at a time and gradually increase until the dough binds well. If added too much liquid, add a little more flour. Too little water would produce a crumbly dry dough.
4) Don't overwork the dough else it may become tough.
5) Use wax paper or plastic wrap when rolling out dough for less mess on the counter.
6) Start from the center when rolling out the chilled dough towards the end for a more even distribution.
7) Chill the pie crust prior to baking. This will help retaining the shape of the fluted pie border.
8) Peirce the bottom with a few holes using a fork.
9) Brush the bottom with egg white or bake for a few minutes to prevent a soggy bottom.
10) Cut vents to avoid the lower crust from being soggy and it will allow the steam to excape.