Apple Pumpkin Pie

I've been waiting for this one. Holding out on you actually, if I'm honest.

The last week of November suffers from an overdose of Thanksgiving plates and another is probably the last thing you want to see. So I've waited, biding my time until you might feel a little receptive to something really good. Like this combo of apple and pumpkin pie. :-)

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Now that we're firmly in December, I'm hoping this will sound good to you. If it doesn't....well then we just don't understand each other.

This pie is a family favorite; we enjoy it several times a year. Don't be thinking this is a recipe to prepare at Thanksgiving only! It suits anytime from September to March (or year-round but I won't push you that far). When this girl came out of the oven I was positively swollen with pride. The interior is moist and juicy from the apple and pumpkin layers, which sink together to create a luscious, pudding-like consistency.

I had some pumpkin custard leftover which I poured it into a ramekin and baked with the pie. You could decrease the measurements of that layer, but you'd have a bit of canned pumpkin left (annoying) and you wouldn't have a personal pumpkin pie to eat right away, or save for a loved one. . . or eat right away.

Apple Pumpkin Pie

dough: 1/2 batch of The Best Pie Dough, rolled out and pressed into a 9-inch pie dish

apple layer:

3 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp flour

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

pumpkin layer:
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

1 generous cup fat free evaporated milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

crumble topping:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

5 Tbs granulated sugar

3 Tbs butter, softened

Place a baking sheet in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the ingredients for the apple layer- apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon- in a bowl. Arrange in an even layer at the bottom of the prepared pie shell. Stash in the fridge.

Combine the ingredients for the pumpkin layer- eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a second bowl. Remove the pie shell from the fridge and pour the mixture over the apples.

You want to fill it pretty well, but anticipate some extra so don't overflow!

Remove the baking sheet and place the pie on top of it. Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the crumble topping in a small bowl by rubbing the butter into the flour, oats, and sugar until it becomes crumbly. After 30 minutes remove the pie and cover it with the topping evenly.

Bake for another 20 minutes until the pumpkin custard sets. Allow to cool on a rack for at least 1 1/2 hours before cutting and serving.

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