When Archibald makes this recipe, she uses a kind of apple called Yellow Transparent, grown in the Pacific Northwest. We substituted Macouns, Fujis, and Jonagolds (which hold their shape during baking), all with great success.
Ingredients
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened
1 1/3 cups pecans, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 pounds Macoun, Fuji, or Jonagold apples
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 1 navel orange
Accompaniment: prune tequila ice cream
Directions
Blend flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until combined well. Add butter and blend until mixture forms large clumps. Transfer to a bowl and work in pecans with your fingertips.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Whisk together sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Peel, quarter, and core apples, then slice 1/2 inch thick. Add apples to sugar mixture along with lemon juice and orange zest and toss until combined well.
Spread apples in a lightly buttered 3 1/2- to 4-quart shallow baking dish and crumble topping evenly over them. Bake in middle of oven until topping is golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool to warm and serve with ice cream.
