Apple Cherry Free Form Pie with Crumble Topping

 

I was a baking and cooking fool on the Fourth of July this year. Most years we gather with family and friends on Independence Day ... and everyone brings a dish to share.  This year was a little different.  Everyone was busy with other plans, so we had our own little cookout at home that included just our immediate family and my mother.  Steve took the kids to a little carnival thing a couple of towns over during the day, so I stayed home and spent several hours in the kitchen whipping up some fabulous summertime fare.

I started the morning making this yummy pie.  I ended with throwing chicken (stuffed with ham and cheese - post to come soon) and marinated pork chops on the grill.  And, in between, I made my Fresh Veggie Pizza Wonton Cups for appetizers later and a bunch of other sides to round out our meal.

This dessert will now be a staple in our house.  It was so simple and much quicker than making a traditional pie.  We're not typically big pie lovers, but a couple of us jokingly fought over the last piece.  (There may or may not have been mention of an arm wrestling contest for dibs on the lone, final slice.)  My husband loved, loved, loved it!  (I've just picked up the ingredients to make it again this weekend for him.)

He compared it to "something you'd get in a little French pastry shop."  (Um, I'm not quite sure when you traveled to France, honey ... but I would have liked to have gone.)

Any berry or fruit would work in this pie.  I wanted to go the apple pie route since it's kind of an "All-American" dessert staple.  Top this with some vanilla ice cream and you've got one heck of a end to any summertime meal.  It is delicate, flakey and not overly sweet (like so many apples pies).

Serves 6- 8.