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5 from 2 votes

Apple Pandowdy Recipe

Here's an Apple Pandowdy Recipe that is easy to make, especially if you are new to making pie crust. As the name implies, the crust topping is dowdy. That means untidy, and that's the secret. All you do is top your apples with a lot of little pieces of pie crust. Nothing fancy. And that's what makes this crust foolproof!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Chilling Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Baked Goods, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Cast iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet

Ingredients

For the Dowdy Pie Dough

  • 2/3 cup All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Dried sugar cane juice (Sucanat) You can substitute light or dark brown sugar.
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 6 tbsp Butter, unsalted Cut into small pieces and keep frozen until ready to use.
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract flavoring
  • 3 tbsp Ice water
  • 1 tbsp Sour cream

For the Apple Filling

  • 2-3 pounds Apples (any variety) peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" slices As to size, I found that 3 large and 3 small apples weighed between 2-3 pounds.
  • 1/4 cup Dried sugar cane juice (Sucanat) You can also substitute packed light brown or dark brown sugar. To be historically accurate, you can use 1/4 cup molasses.
  • 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 3/4 cup Apple juice You can substitute water.
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch If corn products do not agree with you, you can substitute with tapioca flour.
  • 1 medium Lemon, juice and zest

For the Dowdy Pie Dough Topping

  • 1 tbsp White sugar Best to use white sugar for the topping as other whole sugars may burn.
  • 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1 large Egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

To Make the Dowdy Pie Dough

  • In the mixing bowl of a food processor* pulse flour, Sucanat, and salt for a few seconds to mix.
  • To the food processor, add butter, then pulse until the flour mixture and butter appear like small peas. This will take about 8 pulses.
  • Mix ice water, sour cream, and vanilla extract and add to the food processor. Pulse until the dough comes together in clumps and all the flour has been moistened.
  • Place the dough onto a flat surface lined with plastic wrap, and using the plastic wrap, shape the dough into a 4"-5" disk. (See video.) Wrap the disk with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • After 1 hour, remove the dough to a floured surface, and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 10" circle.
  • Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough up into 2" pieces. They will be uneven when cutting around the edges of the circle.
  • Place the pieces onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

To Make the Apple Filling

  • Toss apples, Sucanat, cinnamon, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • In a 10" cast iron skillet (or another oven-proof pan), melt butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the apple mixture. Cook the apples for approximately 10-12 minutes until they release their juices and begin to soften.
  • Mix the apple juice and corn starch together until there are no lumps. Add to the skillet. Bring the apple mixture up to a boil, then immediately turn the heat down to medium-low and allow to simmer until the sauce is thickened. Approximately 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and place the skillet on a heatproof surface. Press on the apples with the back of a wooden spoon to flatten them into an even layer. Set aside.

To Make the Dowdy Pie Dough Topping

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Remove the dough pieces from the refrigerator and place them in no particular pattern on top of the apple mixture in the skillet. They can overlap, and there can also be openings where you can see down into the apple mixture.
  • Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside
  • Brush the dough with the egg.
  • Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
  • Place the skillet on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, carefully remove the skillet from the oven and place it on a heatproof surface. Using the back of a spoon, press down on the crust, breaking it in different places, allowing the apple juices to seep up on top of the crust.
  • Return the skillet to the oven and continue to bake until the crust turns a golden brown and puffs up slightly. Approximately 15 minutes.
  • Transfer the skillet to a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes. Scoop out a portion of the apples along with the crust and optionally top with vanilla ice cream. (This treat is best eaten the day you make it.)

Video

Notes

*This pie dough is easiest to make if using a food processor, but you can also use a pastry cutter, two knives, or two forks.
Find this recipe and video at https://marysnest.com/how-to-make-old-fashioned-apple-pandowdy/
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