Sweet Cherry Apricot Crumb Pie blends juicy sweet cherries with with tangy apricots for a fresh burst of summer in every bite!
Although I’ll just about never pass up a slice of any freshly baked pie, fruit pies are by and large my favorite variety. I’m not alone in that preference. I have found that the offer of a slice of classic cherry pie or an all-American apple pie is a gesture appreciated any time of the year. The flavor of a mounding single fruit stands well enough on it’s own when enveloped in a flaky crust. So far as pie is concerned, simplicity is very tasty.
However, when breezes blow warm on the 45th parallel, our orchard canopies are bowed with the weight of a wide variety of sun-ripened fruit. Just as I can never leave a fruit stand having purchased only a single variety of fruit, I have an equally hard time selecting just one fruit to include in a pie in the face of seasonal abundance.
I recently drove past a favorite a farm stand and noticed a sign for sweet cherries and early apricots. The contrast in colors was enough to draw me in. After maneuvering a quick (perfectly legal) U-turn, I pulled into the gravel lot. The Sons barely let me park the truck before they were out swarming the tables, snapping up as many quart baskets of fruit as they could hold.
We tend to make a noticeable entrance.
Once I caught up to my crew, I let out a squeak of excitement as I noticed the sweet cherries. I thought that they were long gone this late in the season! After a quick glance to the right, I sighed at the sight of the apricots. My grandmother loved fresh apricots, so I always feel a wave of contentment wash over me whenever I see them.
The lady behind the stand just smiled and said,
“What are you going to make this time? More jam or more pie?”
I just laughed! I don’t know if it’s a good thing or completely ridiculous that I’m a regular enough fixture at a particular farm stand that they know my fruit habits. Maybe a little of both.
On the ride home, I decided to bake a pie to surprise Bacon Slayer when he got home from work. He’s a Pie Guy. I knew a crumb topping was a must because a few days before, he had (not so) subtly mentioned that I hadn’t made crumb top pie in awhile. I figured that I should be a good wife and make that poor man a crumb pie before the summer fruit season was over!
I briefly debated whether to make a sweet cherry pie or an apricot pie.
Both are delicious in their own right, but I couldn’t resist the idea of tossing both flavors together into one pie.
By the time I arrived at home, I had a plan! I immediately went to work on this Sweet Cherry Apricot Crumb Pie.
In my family, I have to work fast if I want to make anything special with our fruit supplies. Otherwise, I’ll turn around and find a stack of empty cartons on the counter where the fruit used to be. Growing boys are kind of like locusts in that they eat everything in their path.
Sweet Cherry Apricot Pie balances the flavors of plump, ripe sweet cherries with tangy apricots.
The resulting filling is not-too-sweet, not-too-tart, and perfectly complimented by the crunchy crumb topping. My family devoured the Sweet Cherry Apricot Pie in one sitting–just like the lovable locusts that they are! I hope that you enjoy it even half as much as we did.
Having a hard time tracking down fresh, ripe fruit in your area? No problem! Simply substitute frozen fruit in equal quantity in the recipe.
♥♥♥
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 8
Juicy sweet cherries blend seamlessly with tangy apricots for a fresh burst of summer in every bite of this seasonal favorite pie!
2 hrPrep Time
45 minCook Time
2 hr, 45 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- ½ recipe No Excuses Pie Dough (or your favorite single crust pastry recipe)
- 4 C. fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved*
- 2 C. fresh apricots, pitted and quartered*
- 3 Tbs. water
- 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1 C. granulated sugar
- 3 Tbs. cornstarch
- Pinch of ground cardamom
- ½ C. all-purpose flour
- ½ C. light brown sugar, packed
- ½ C. rolled oats
- ½ C. cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
Instructions
- Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and cardamom together in a medium saucepan until blended. Add the cherries and apricots to the bowl, and toss the fruit to coat with the sugar mixture.
- Combine water and lemon juice and pour that over the fruit. Set the saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the fruit mixture until it becomes very thick. (About 5 minutes).
- Remove the filling from heat, and allow it to cool to room temperature. (To speed the process, I’ve had good luck freezing the filling in a clean, unwrapped Pyrex bowl for about 20 minutes.)
- Roll out the disk of chilled pie dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thick circle; gently roll dough around a rolling pin to transfer to the pie plate, ensuring a 1 ½ inch overhang. Fold the overhang of dough under and crimp the edge as desired. Refrigerate the pastry lined pie plate while preparing the topping.
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, and rolled oats in a small bowl. Add the cubed butter, and cut it into the mixture with a pastry blender until it is the size of peas or small pebbles; set it aside.
- Remove the pastry lined pie plate from the refrigerator. Pour the cooled cherry pie filling into the pastry lined pie plate. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling, spreading it to the very edges of the pie to seal in the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until filling is bubbly, and the crust and topping are a deep, golden brown.
- The filling will set as it cools, so be sure to allow pie to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
If fresh, ripe fruit is unavailable in your area, simply substitute frozen fruit in equal quantity in the recipe. Toss frozen fruit in the pot with the sugar mixture, and follow the recipe as directed. The filling will take longer to thicken in the saucepan when using frozen fruit. The pie is even better the next day after being chilled uncovered in the refrigerator. ... Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, (plus 30 minutes of chill time) Cook Time: 45 minutes, Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes (plus cooling time).
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