Let us begin with the well-deserved credits. The photo is by EJ Armstrong from the cookbook Bacon 24/Seven by Theresa Gilliam. The photo is a work of art. The pie is something that immediately caught my eye. I’m reading the cookbook and I love apple pie and I do like streusel toppings. But bacon streusel? I would not do this with blueberries, but it sounds perfectly comfort-food-yummy for an apple pie.
You should try this recipe out with the early fall apples. Who knows, this won’t replace pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving but it could share your table.
Do search out a copy of Bacon 24/Seven. It’s a sophisticated and dedicated testimony to the power of a meat product that deserves just a little more respect and attention. There are lots of recipes in the book showing the same power of imagination that this bacon streusel demonstrates. Bacon appears in sandwiches, drinks, and frostings. Somewhere there you will be surprised.
Apple Pie with Bacon Streusel
Yield: 1 9-inch pie
Ingredients:
- 1 pie crust of your choice
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 medium Braeburn apples, peeled, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup lightly packed, light brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Bacon Streusel (recipe follows)
Preparation:
Fill the pie crust with the apple mixture and top with Bacon Streusel. Bake until the top is browned and the apples are tender, 50-60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature
Bacon Streusel
Ingredients:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) very cold, unsalted butter
- ½ cup cooked and crumbled bacon (about 6 slices)
- 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
Preparation:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. Shred the cold butter with a cheese grater into the flour mixture and mix until pea-sized clumps form.
Add the crumbled bacon and ginger and stir to mix.
If you are not using immediately, store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Source: Bacon 24/Seven by Theresa Gilliam [Countryman Press, 2013]