Making a top crust for an apple pie is a classic and delicious way to finish off this traditional dessert. Here's a step-by-step guide to making a lattice-style top crust for your apple pie:
Ingredients:
- Your favorite pie dough recipe (enough for both the bottom and top crusts)
- 5-6 cups of sliced and peeled apples (use a mix of sweet and tart apples)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to the temperature specified in your apple pie recipe. Usually, it's around 375°F (190°C).
Roll out half of your pie dough and line a 9-inch pie dish. Trim any excess dough from the edges.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and lemon juice. Toss the apples until they are evenly coated with the sugar and spices.
Pour the apple mixture into the prepared pie crust and spread it out evenly. Dot the top of the apples with small pieces of butter.
Roll out the remaining half of the pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the rolled-out dough into strips, about 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide. You'll need enough strips to cover the top of the pie.
Arrange the strips of dough in a lattice pattern over the apple filling. To do this, place half of the strips horizontally across the pie, leaving some space between them. Then, fold back every other strip and place a vertical strip of dough over the unfolded strips. Fold the horizontal strips back down, and then fold back the other set of strips, placing another vertical strip next to the previous one. Repeat this process until you've covered the entire pie.
Trim the excess edges of the lattice strips and crimp the edges of the bottom and top crusts together to seal the pie.
Brush the lattice crust with beaten egg to give it a nice golden color when baked.
Optionally, you can sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the lattice for extra sweetness and texture.
Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any potential drips and bake in the preheated oven for about 45-55 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown, and the apple filling is bubbling.
Once baked, remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Enjoy your delicious homemade apple pie with its beautiful lattice top crust! Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat.