The Scoop
Strawberry Crumble Pie is warm, cozy, and perfect for a surprise snow day.
The first time I made this strawberry crumble pie was during a surprise snow day. Snow-covered trees and a blanket of white demanded something warm and satisfying. I rummaged through my pantry and found a bag of roasted almonds and some oats. They usually sat forgotten behind the spices, yet today they were destined for greatness. With the cold butter gleaming from the refrigerator, I set out to create a pie that matched the coziness of the frosty window view.
I had a pile of vibrant strawberries, plump and begging to be transformed. Adding a touch of ground cardamom reminded me of winters in my grandmother's kitchen, where spices lingered in the air. Lemon zest mingled with brown sugar added a brightness that was irresistible. Pressing the dough, I remembered the importance of chilling it well, as this prevented a shrinking crust, leaving the pie proud and intact.
The pie bubbled away in the oven, filling my small kitchen with a comforting aroma that competed with the scent of fresh snow. The secret was the almond crumble, chilled alongside the dough, ensuring that the butter stayed lazily crisp atop the pie. As I sliced into it, the warm berries and icy vanilla ice cream created an embrace that was nothing short of magic.
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
- Pulse 1/3 cup of the roasted almonds in a food processor until finely ground, about 15-18 times.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing to pull the dough together into a crumbly pile.
- Turn the dough onto a work surface and press it into a ball.
- Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap it in plastic.
- Chill the dough disk for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- 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.
- 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.
- Chill the almond crumble mixture for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Position one oven rack in the lowest position and one oven rack in the middle position.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Using the extra flour, lightly dust a work surface, then roll the dough out onto the surface, working it into a 12-inch circle.
- Transfer the dough circle to a 9-inch pie plate, folding the edges under to align with the rim of the plate and crimp.
- Freeze the crust for 20 minutes.
- Line a pie shell with foil and fill it with pie weights or dry beans.
- Bake the crust on the lowest oven rack until the edges are set, about 24-26 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil and the pie weights and prick the bottom of the pie crust several times with a fork.
- Return the crust to the oven and bake until the edges are golden-brown and the bottom is dry, about 7-10 minutes.
- Cool the crust completely on a wire rack, reserving the baking sheet.
- Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the remaining sugar, the nutmeg, the cardamom, the cornstarch, and the remaining salt in a bowl.
- Add the lemon juice and the strawberries to the spice mixture and toss to coat.
- Spoon the strawberry mixture into the pie crust, pressing the berries into an even layer.
- Top the strawberry filling with the crumble.
- Place the pie plate on the reserved baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
- 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.
- Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Serve topped with the vanilla ice cream.
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