cinnamon crumble apple pie

Let's talk pie.

I want it. Pretty much every waking moment. I think of pie as less of a dessert and more of a lifestyle choice. Some people have dogs. Or run. Or have a pied-à-terre in Paris. I have pie.

Unfortunately, I can't make a pie crust to save my life. I have tried repeatedly. My mom makes a great crust. She showed me how to do it. I failed. I followed the America's Test Kitchen recipe with vodka in it (bonus points for that). Failed. I tried the pie crust from the Baked cookbook. Failed. It's either too thick, too thin, or too warm while rolling it out and the butter melts, killing any flaky life left in it. Forget crimping the edges, that ribboned edge of crust poking above the edge of the pie plate. I think there's a gene for crimping, and apparently I am recessive.

Karen, however, makes a glorious cinnamon crumble apple pie. It is perfection, crust included. Heavy on the apples without cloying sweetness. A crunchy topping that makes you wonder why anyone would ever want a double crust. A test of a great pie for me is if I want to eat it for breakfast the next day. Whenever she makes it, I can promise I know what I'm eating in the morning.

I know it's almost Spring. But today's chilly and rainy, reminding me that March hasn't flipped the switch quite yet. And I really hope I'm having pie for breakfast tomorrow...

(Hint - if you are a recessive pie crust maker like me and you live near a Trader Joe's, get their frozen pie crusts. I'm not hating them at all.)

Recipe | cinnamon crumble apple pie [via epicurious.com]