Lattice Apple Pie
The first lattice I tried, I cut the strips from dough that had gone soft on the counter, and they stretched, tore and sagged into the apples before the oven was even hot. Now I chill the rolled sheet for ten minutes before cutting. That’s it. Straight, clean strips that hold their shape and puff a little where they cross.
The other thing I do is pour a splash of dry hard cider over the apples. It sounds fussy, but it sharpens the brown sugar and keeps the filling from tasting flat, kind of like an extra squeeze of lemon. I slice the apples about a quarter inch thick so they soften all the way through in 50 minutes without turning to mush. We eat it barely warm, with a little powdered sugar on top and vanilla ice cream on the side.
A lattice apple pie for fall weekends, when the apples at the market are finally worth buying. The woven top lets steam escape, so the juices cook down into a glossy syrup instead of pooling under the crust. Cool it two hours before slicing. It keeps three days covered at room temperature.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Whisk the 2 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter until the pieces are the size of peas. Drizzle in the ice water, tossing with a fork, until the dough holds together when squeezed, adding a little more water only if needed. Divide into two disks, one slightly larger than the other, wrap and chill for 1 hour.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup cold unsalted butter, 6 tbsp ice water
- Toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, the 1 tablespoon flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla and hard cider, and toss until every slice is coated. Let it sit while you roll out the crust.5 large apples, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 3/4 cup light brown sugar, 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup dry hard cider
- Heat the oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger disk into a 12-inch round and ease it into a 9-inch pie plate, leaving about 1 inch of overhang. Spoon in the apples with all their juices and dot the top with the small pieces of butter.2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Roll the second disk into an 11-inch round, slide it onto a baking sheet and chill for 10 minutes. Cut it into ten 1-inch strips. Lay five strips across the filling, then weave the other five over and under them. Trim the ends, fold the bottom overhang up over them and crimp the edge.
- Brush the lattice and the edge with the beaten egg. Set the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling bubbles through the gaps. If the edge browns too fast after 30 minutes, cover it with a strip of foil.1 large egg
- Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours so the filling sets. Dust with powdered sugar just before slicing.1 tbsp powdered sugar
Nutrition
Notes
No hard cider on hand? Use the same amount of unsweetened apple cider or apple juice. Mix two apple varieties, one tart and one sweet, for slices that hold their shape and a more rounded flavor.
You might also like our Easy French Apple Tart.
made this sunday with granny smiths and a couple honeycrisps. chilling the top crust before cutting the strips made such a difference, mine never looked this neat before. the cider is subtle but you can tell its there