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Lattice Apple Pie

Filled with soft apples and topped with a buttery homemade shortcrust pastry, this simple lattice apple pie is fun to decorate and surprisingly easy to make!
Prep Time 2 hrs 45 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 3 hrs 30 mins
Course Dessert
Servings 12 slices (approx.)

Equipment

  • Deep pie dish, measuring around 30cm total (base and sides)
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Rolling Pin
  • Pizza cutter or long knife
  • Pastry brush

Ingredients
  

Sweet shortcrust pastry

  • 400 g plain flour sifted
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar sifted
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 150 g cold unsalted butter I use firm block-style butter, not the spreadable type
  • 50 g shortening I use Trex
  • 1 medium egg, separated Lightly whisk the egg then remove 2 tbsp and keep aside to use as egg wash
  • 6-7 tbsp cold water The amount can differ so add it gradually until your pastry is the right texture

Apple pie filling

  • 4 medium cooking apples around 900g whole weight
  • 2 medium eating apples I use Granny Smith but Honey Crisp or Braeburn work too. Around 200g whole weight
  • 120 g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornflour level
  • 1 tsp cinnamon level
  • Juice of 1 medium lemon

Pastry topping

  • 1 tbsp milk add this to your 2 tbsp leftover egg to make an egg wash!
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar to sprinkle on top before baking

Instructions
 

Sweet shortcrust pastry

  • Add the plain flour, icing sugar and salt to your large mixing bowl and whisk together.
  • Add cold cubed unsalted butter and shortening to the bowl and begin rubbing them into the flour mixture with your fingers. Continue doing this for a few minutes until the mixture resembles rough bread crumbs.
  • Lightly whisk your egg and then remove two tablespoons and add to a separate smaller bowl. Set the smaller bowl aside for later; this will be mixed with a little milk to create an egg wash (to glaze your pie top!).
  • Add the remaining larger bowl of beaten egg to the large mixing bowl. Add your cold water slowly, a tablespoon at a time, and gently knead the wet and dry ingredients together. The amount of water needed differs due to environmental factors, so you may need more or less than stated. I usually use around 6-7 tablespoons of water when making this pastry in my kitchen.
  • You'll know you have the correct consistency when the dough is soft, with no large cracks. If the dough looks cracked, it is too dry so add a teaspoon or two of water and knead again. If the dough feels sticky or wet, just sprinkle a little extra flour into the bowl and knead again.
  • Divide the dough into two equal pieces.
  • Pat each piece into a ball then flatten each slightly to form discs. This will make them easier to roll out later!
  • Wrap both discs in film and place in the fridge to chill and firm up for around 1-1.5 hours.
  • Once chilled, lightly dust your work surface with flour and place one disc of dough on top. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the dough out vertically a few times before lifting it gently, turning slightly and repeating this motion. Try to lift it often to stop the dough from sticking to the counter, and turning it often helps it keep a circular shape!
  • Continue rolling the dough out until it measures 30cm in diameter.
  • Carefully lift the dough from the countertop into your pie dish. I find it easier to do this by lightly rolling the dough around the rolling pin and then rolling it back into the dish. You could also use both hands to spread the weight underneath the dough and quickly move it from the countertop to the pie dish!
  • Gently press the dough into the corners and edges of your pie dish, all the way to the top edge of the dish. Don't worry if your dough cracked or has little holes, simple use any excess dough from the edges to patch them up! Be sure to patch up any holes or cracks at this stage to prevent your apple filling from leaking through when baking later.
  • Put the pie dish in your fridge to chill while you make the apple pie filling.
  • Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan.

Apple pie filling

  • Peel, core and slice all of the apples and place the slices into a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix together to coat the slices evenly.
  • Next, add the caster sugar and cornflour and cinnamon and stir together to evenly coat the slices.
  • Remove the pie dish from the fridge and add your apple slices. I place them in one by one rather than pouring them in all at once. I start from the outside edge working inwards and repeat this to create layers of apple slices. I find this helps prevent large gaps between apple slices!
  • Lightly dust your work surface with flour again and place your second disc of dough on top. Roll out as before, lifting and turning often until it measures 30cm in diameter.
  • Using a pizza cutter or large knife, cut several strips from this disc of dough and begin creating your lattice! The design is up to you; I've done a simple weave here where you lift one over and then one under. My thicker strips are about 2cm thick, and the thinner strips are around 1cm
    This can get a little confusing so take your time. As you can see, the lattice pattern on the right side isn't quite right here; luckily I noticed before I baked it! 😉
  • Trim off the excess from the edges of the strips.
  • Press the pieces of excess dough into a new ball of dough; this will form your pie crust!
  • You could just roll this out into 1 or 2 long sausage-like pieces, and wrap around the edge of the pie dish to create a simple pie crust. If doing this, finish it by pressing the back end of a fork into it to create pretty grooves!
    If you'd like to make a plaited crust like mine, roll your remaining dough into a long strip, around 40cm. Cut this strip in half.
  • Take one half and cut into three smaller strips.
  • Roll them into sausage-like strips with your hands!
  • Press the three strips together at the top, then begin plaiting them.
    Repeat the steps above with the second piece of dough so that you have two plaits.
  • Add a tablespoon of milk to your small bowl of leftover egg and gently mix together to create your egg wash.
  • Using a pastry brush, lift the outer edges of your lattice strips slightly, brush a little egg wash underneath and press the strip down to 'glue' it to the pie edge.
    To add your plaited or simple pie crust, brush more egg wash around the edge of the pie top and place the crust around the edge, pressing down gently to again 'glue' them down.
  • Use any leftover dough to create any shapes you like to decorate! I opted for some simple leaf shapes, which I placed on top of one of the joins of my plaited crust to hide the join.
  • Brush the whole pie top with egg wash and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of caster sugar on top.
    Place the pie onto the middle shelf of your preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 180°C/160° fan and bake for a further 30-35 minutes. The pie will be baked when the crust is a lovely golden brown colour, the filling should be bubbling slightly and an apple slice should feel very soft when you poke a sharp knife into it.
  • Leave to cool completely before serving, as the filling thickens and firms up as it cools. This allows you to cut neater slices to serve.
  • Best eaten within 3-4 days. Store at room temperature or in the fridge; it should keep a little longer when stored in the fridge.

Notes

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Keyword apple pie, lattice, lattice apple pie, pie recipe, pineapple