Crumb Topped Apple Pie

Did you know that yesterday was pie day? This is one that I actually knew about. Every year on March 14th, it's pie day. It's kind of a nerdy thing. It's actually Pi day. Pi, the mathematical constant relating a circle's circumference to its diameter... abbreviated to two decimal points as 3.14... thus... March (3) 14th (.14) becomes: Pi(e) Day!

Nerdy or not, I knew we'd be celebrating. So first thing in the morning, I made some pie crust pastry and set it to chill in the fridge as little miss, little man and I went about our morning.

Once little miss was at school and little man was down for his nap,though, it was time to get to work. I had an eight-pound bag of apples on the table begging to be turned into a nerdy math day celebration. But rather than make my usual double crust apple pie, I chose to make something new - a crumb-topped apple pie.

The first thing I did was to roll out my pie crust and return it to the fridge while I prepared the filling.

Sliced apples, some brown sugar and some cinnamon were combined, then poured into the prepared pie crust.

I then topped it with a combination of brown sugar, flour and oatmeal (with another sprinkle of cinnamon), into which a couple of tablespoons of butter were rubbed in. The actual recipe called for nuts rather than oats, but I wanted to keep this toddler friendly, so I made the swap.


Then the pie went into the oven and made the house smell absolutely lovely for the better part of an hour!


So after dinner (quiche - or, as we called it last night, egg pie!), we were ready to dig in!

This was delicious, and a fun change from the standard apple pie. And it was totally fun to do in the middle of the week, too.

So how did you celebrate Pi(e) Day??

Crumb Topped Apple Pie

(slightly adapted from About.com, Southern Food)

1 unbaked pie shell, 9-inch (I used this recipe)

6 cups peeled apple slices (I used 6 apples and it fit my pie shell perfectly)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

For the topping:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt; sprinkle over the apples and stir gently to combine. Pour apples into prepared pie shell.

Combine topping ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over top of pie.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until apples are tender and topping is browned.

Enjoy!