What is more classic than apple pie? I sweetened this recipe up with maple syrup to give it a northernly touch (I am from Canada, after all). The crumble topping is from a recipe my French-Canadian grandmother passed on to me. I've been really into these "open-faced" pies recently, matching my love for open-faced sandwiches, I guess. It works fantastically, and allows you to see the sweet flavours embedded in the toasty apples. Yum!

Step 1: Ingredients

- One 9" pie crust

Filling
- 4-6 granny smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced to about 2 millimetres (about 1 3/4 pounds or 800 grams)
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
- a pinch of ground cloves

Topping
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter

Step 2: Preparation

Preheat oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Lay the pie crust into a 9" round pie plate and pinch the edges decoratively.

Step 3: Filling

In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with the 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon allspice, 1/8 teaspoon cardamom and pinch of cloves. Place the apple mixture into the 9" pie crust.

Step 4: Crumble Topping

Stir the 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup light brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon together, cut in the 2 tablespoons butter until crumbly. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the apples until it seems reasonably covered (you might have some left over). You may cover with any remaining pie crust, or simply bake with the crumble as the topping.

Step 5: Bake

Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool and thicken for at least 45 minutes before serving (serving too early will result in a runny pie).