Yes, we do eat things other than dessert, but I'm on a roll with the air fryer lately. I've been trying to see what sorts of desserts I can make with the little appliance. The answer is plenty. In this case, it's a small apple crumb pie--just enough for four to six people. The air fryer turns out a pie that's just as delicious as if made in a big oven, but the cooking time in the air fryer is about half an hour. How does the pie taste? It's great. It's full of sweet-tart apples laced with warm spices. The topping is sweet and crunchy and nutty. This pie cries out to be eaten warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt melting alongside it.
Air Fryer Apple Crumb Pie -- Serves 4-6
1 ready-made piecrust or home-made crust for one layer
4 cups of peeled sliced apples, preferably Granny Smith or similar
1/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of allspice
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of cloves
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons of flour
Topping
1/8 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of walnuts
In a large microwave-safe bowl or pyrex measuring container, mix the apples sugar, spices, lemon juice, and flour well. Microwave the mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring it every minute or two, until the apples release their juices and soften and the mixture thickens. While the apple mixture is cooking, coat a 7-inch spring-form pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put the piecrust into the pan and press it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. It's okay if the piecrust breaks a little--just press it back together. The crust won't come to the top of the pan, and you don't need to crimp the edges. Just try to make sure the edges are even/about the same height all the way around the pan. Once the apple mixture has thickened, pour the mixture into the crust. In the same bowl that you used for the apples, add the topping ingredients. With a fork, blend the topping ingredients together, using the fork to break up the butter chunks and the walnut pieces. You should have some smallish and larger chunks in your topping. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Spritz the topping with a little non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the air fryer for a minute or two to 320 degrees and place the pie carefully in the air fryer. Cook the pie for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let the pie cool for at least 15 minutes before serving it.
