The key to the Strawberry Crumble Pie is patience. Each element takes time to perfect and for the flavors to truly come together. But if you can summon that patience, oh my, the rewards are through the roof. The crumble is crunchy and sweet and just a little lemony, while the crust is buttery and filled with almonds. And then there is the strawberry filling that is so summery and jammy. Does anything else feel more like summer than this Strawberry Crumble Pie? Not to our knowledge, and definitely not to our taste buds!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1/3 cup whole almonds, roasted
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
- 4 tablespoons ice water
For the almond crumble:
- 1/3 cup whole almonds, roasted and finely chopped
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more, to taste, for dusting a work surface
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- vanilla ice cream, optional, to taste, for serving
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 pounds strawberries, hulled, halved if small and quartered if large
Directions
Step 1 –Pulse 1/3 cup of the roasted almonds in a food processor until finely ground, about 15-18 times.
Step 2 –Add 1 teaspoon of the sugar, 1 cup of the flour, and 3/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt to the ground almonds and pulse to combine.
Step 3 –Add 1/2 cup of the cold butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal with several pea-size pieces remaining, six or eight pulses.
Step 4 –Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing to pull the dough together into a crumbly pile.
Step 5 –Turn the dough onto a work surface and press it into a ball.
Step 6 –Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap it in plastic.
Step 7 –Chill the dough disk for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Step 8 –Combine the remaining almonds, the oats, 1/3 cup of the remaining flour, the brown sugar, the lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl.
Step 9 –Cut the remaining butter into the flour mixture with two forks or a pastry blender, until the butter is incorporated and the mixture forms small clumps.
Step 10 –Chill the almond crumble mixture for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
Step 11 –Position one oven rack in the lowest position and one oven rack in the middle position.
Step 12 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 13 –Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Step 14 –Using the extra flour, lightly dust a work surface, then roll the dough out onto the surface, working it into a 12-inch circle.
Step 15 –Transfer the dough circle to a 9-inch pie plate, folding the edges under to align with the rim of the plate and crimp.
Step 16 –Freeze the crust for 20 minutes.
Step 17 –Line a pie shell with foil and fill it with pie weights or dry beans.
Step 18 –Bake the crust on the lowest oven rack until the edges are set, about 24-26 minutes.
Step 19 –Carefully remove the foil and the pie weights and prick the bottom of the pie crust several times with a fork.
Step 20 –Return the crust to the oven and bake until the edges are golden-brown and the bottom is dry, about 7-10 minutes.
Step 21 –Cool the crust completely on a wire rack, reserving the baking sheet.
Step 22 –Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
Step 23 –Combine the remaining sugar, the nutmeg, the cardamom, the cornstarch, and the remaining salt in a bowl.
Step 24 –Add the lemon juice and the strawberries to the spice mixture and toss to coat.
Step 25 –Spoon the strawberry mixture into the pie crust, pressing the berries into an even layer.
Step 26 –Top the strawberry filling with the crumble.
Step 27 –Place the pie plate on the reserved baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
Step 28 –Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
Step 29 –Cover the pie with foil and bake until the juices are bubbly around the edges and the crumble is deep golden-brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 30 –Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.
Step 31 –Serve topped with the vanilla ice cream.
