Use this Lattice Crust for this beautiful Lattice Crust Apple Pie, peach pie, blueberry pie, or other favorite pies. A woven lattice pie crust can make a homemade pie look so pretty.
As intimidating as it might look to the non-weavers, weaving a lattice top pie crust is actually quite easy to do.
Make the shortcrust pastry.
- I use half fat to flour so for example for 8oz of flour I use 4oz of fat.
The flour is not the same here and very recently when I was comparing items from the UK against the US.
I made some startling discoveries of the differences and it has made an instant difference to my cooking especially my pastry. I will say no more but I had a silent rant!
Again I cannot get the same cooking fat so I use olive oil-based fat and Crisco oil. For this sort of pastry when I want a nice soft pastry I used 1/3 olive oil fat and 2/3 Crisco oil.
And cake flour, not all-purpose flour, and the difference was remarkable, I am still silently ranting.
Prepare your pastry making sure you use ice-cold water from the fridge and wrap it in cling film and put it in the chiller for at least 20 minutes.
Roll out and line a pie plate or dish or make individual pies.
Some prebake at this point and some don’t …I have done both depending on the time I have or just how I feel.
If I don’t prebake I stand the dish on a baking tray so as to make sure there are no “soggy bottoms”.
Next, peel and core your apples.
If I am using Bramleys or large cooking apples I would use 4 apples any other normal-sized eating apples I would use 8 for a pie plate.
Cook in a pan with a little water until they soften slightly.
I like my apples to keep their shape and not be mushy in a pie.
But that is down to personal preference.
I also add a couple of cloves or nutmeg and cinnamon.
If I use Bramleys I would add a little sugar as we don’t like our filling too sweet but here I cannot get them so use a New Zealand dessert apple which doesn’t need any added sugar.
Drain off the juice and put it into a pie base or individual cases.
Roll out the remaining pastry and put it over the top of the apples.
Make sure you crimp the edges.
Cut 3 slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Sometimes I like something fancy and I love to lattice the tops of my pies.
Brush the top with a little beaten egg and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 40/45 mins or until pastry is cooked.
To check just lightly scrape the fingernail on edge of the pastry and if it crumbles it is cooked.
If you make individual pies the cooking time is slightly less.
When cooked remove from the oven and sprinkle with castor sugar.
It is nicely mixed with a little cinnamon.
Serve with custard or fresh cream.
Prepared, tried, and tested by Carol Taylor
Thank you for sharing Esme 🙂
Thank you Carol – keep it up, love these awesome recipes and your participation