Mock Apple Pie or Crunch

It starts with a zucchini squash that got to big and ends up as a delicious desert that is worth the labor and all the steps.  (mock apple on the left, normal sized zucchini on the right - both picked from my garden the same day)

Mock Apple Crunch or Pie

Obviously, this is the crunch version.  

The pie version is simple as well and a breeze if you are a great pie crust maker.  I have tried making it a pie with the crunch topping, but my store-bought pie crusts tend to burn.  I am not a pie crust maker.  I am a pie eater though.  But since I have to make this from start to finish I go the crunch version.  

NOTE:  The crunch can be frozen for a delicious desert at Thanksgiving time with a change in the cooking schedule because obviously, you don't want mushy crunch.  If you want to freeze this, utilize a foil pan and wait to do the last cooking step with the addition of crunch until the day you are ready to serve it.  You will want it to be thawed out but really the last 40 minutes with the crunch topping freshly placed is the perfect end to a beautiful meal of turkey leftovers.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

Overly large zucchini or yellow squash, 1 per dish.

brown sugar

white sugar

cinnamon

cream of tartar

cornstarch

quick oats

flour

finely chopped walnuts

1 1/2 sticks of butter or margarine

cool whip, vanilla ice cream or heavy cream (half & half)

You start with your overgrown zucchini or yellow squash.  One is all you need for a pie or 8x10 or 9x9 pan for the crunch.  You will want a baking dish that is deep to keep things from bubbling over.  Fill a small stock pot with water and set it on the stove.  It needs to be a rolling boil by the time you dump the mock apple slices into the water.  Medium-high should be enough time.

Next you peel the zucchini.  If you have food grade gloves for one hand, I suggest using that to keep your hand free of squash skin and slippery zucchini syndrome.  Peel the zucchini and then cut off both ends.

Next, you want to slice the zucchini in half length-wise and "core" the seeds and soft stuff around them out.  You will end up having 2 small "boats" that look like hand hollowed out canoes that have no seeds left inside of them.

I used my glove at this point to hold the zucchini because this is where you really get the squash skin and slipperiness.  But it can happen early on as well which is why I suggest putting it on the hand the does the holding of the squash.

Then you take each half and slice it to make apple slices about 1/4 inch thick.  Obviously my sliced apple I was having for my breakfast while I did this was not cut that thin but I put it there for size reference.

Now they are ready for the boiling water.  You will want to boil them for approximately 7 minutes, over boil them and you have apple sauce squishy squash.  Drain them into a colander and immediately rinse them with cold running water.  Shake in the colander to get as much of the water off as possible.  Dump into a mixing bowl.  I just used the one I had them in after slicing.

Now for the recipe part.  Before was all the getting your mock apple slices prepared.

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.  Yes that is right, this was not a typo.  475 degrees.  Best to turn it on when you put the zucchini slices in the water because you are going to need the time to get it up to temperature.

Mix in a bowl the following:

2/3 C brown sugar

1/3 C white granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar

2 tbsp of corn starch

Toss with cooked squash until well coated.

Grease your baking dish or pie pan.  Place the squash/sugar mixture into the greased pan.  Dot with butter or margarine and sprinkle with white vinegar (approx 2 tbsp).  I generally pour the vinegar into my cupped hand and then shake it slowly through my fingers as I open my hand.  It gives a more even coverage of the vinegar sprinkle instead of using a tbsp measuring spoon.  So the hand method of measuring is 2 small handfuls.

Bake in oven for 12 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 35 minutes.  Now is the time to assemble your crunch topping.  Get your dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them well before you add the melted butter/margarine.

CRUNCH TOPPING:

1/2 c brown sugar

1 1/2 c quick oats

1/3 c flour

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1 stick margarine/butter melted

Mix well

Pull out baking dish and add crunch topping to it.  Place back in oven, increase temp to 375 degrees and bake for 40 minutes or until bubbly and brown.

Remove, cool slightly before serving with vanilla ice cream, cool whip, or, my personal favorite, in a bowl with half and half cream.  

You can thank me later when your house smells AMAZING!!!!  It is also a great way to get kids and husbands to eat their veggies, especially squash.  Don't tell them what the apples are made of. 😍

Pie instructions:

Same as above except use a deep pie plate greased, crust on bottom, fill with squash/sugar mixture, dot with margarine/butter and sprinkle with vinegar (just as above).  Top with crust, slits for steam to escape.  Bake the 12 minutes at 475, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Watch your crust edges and cover with foil to keep from burning.

#mockapplecrunch