Apple pie doesn’t get much more iconic, and hard to imagine it could get any better. But it can, with this French Apple-Custard Pie. Sautéed apples, creamy vanilla custard, and crunchy almond streusel come together to create the ultimate autumnal pie – perfect when you want to celebrate a holiday with a familiar, yet elegant dessert.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE FILLING, MELT:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 lb. baking apples such as Pink Lady or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (4–6 apples) 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. dark rum (optional) ¼ tsp. table salt, divided 1 recipe Best-Ever Pie Crust, made into a single 9-inch crust and blind-baked 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 1 cup heavy cream ½ cup sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract ⅛ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
FOR THE ALMOND TOPPING, COMBINE:
1 cup sliced almonds ⅓ cup sugar 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened Pinch of salt
TEST KITCHEN APPROVED
Pink Lady apples are the best choice for this pie. They’re crisp, sweet, tart, and available year-round.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325°.
For the filling, melt butter in sauté pan over medium heat. Add apples and 2 Tbsp. sugar; sauté until apples are soft but not mushy, 8–10 minutes. Stir in rum and salt. Spread apples over the bottom of the blind-baked crust.
Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, cream, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and remaining 1/8 tsp. salt; pour over apples in pie crust. Bake pie until custard is barely set in center, about ⏰ 30 minutes.
For the almond topping, combine almonds, sugar, and softened butter, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Remove pie from oven; sprinkle with topping. Cover pie with a pie shield if the edge of the crust is overbrowning.
Return pie to oven; bake until custard is almost set but still slightly jiggly in the center, 15–20 minutes more. Cool pie completely before slicing, or chill pie, then bring to room temperature when ready to serve.