There are as many ways to make apple pie as there are apples in the trees, and I can’t think of going through any autumn season without making at least one apple pie.
My mother used to shred her apples, mix them with typical apple pie ingredients, pour them into a crust and bake it. She’d serve each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top. So divine.
Then there’s a traditional apple pie that uses sliced apples with a solid top crust that many artsy cooks decorate with vents in clever designs. And there are pies with crisscross tops so that you can look in and see the bubbling apple filling.
I’ve never had an apple pie that I did not like. But I’m always looking for one that’s a little different, and I found this season’s online at allrecipes.com. I’ve never seen another one like this with a sweet buttery sauce poured over the top of the pie once the lattice crust is in place.
This pie takes a little extra effort, but I think you’ll find that it’s worth every minute you put into it.
Like any apple pie, it takes some time to peel and slice the apples. And making a lattice crust takes some practice to make a pie that’s Instagram ready, But once you get the hang of it, it doesn’t take that long.
The recipe calls for Granny Smith apples, but I’ve made it with Arkansas Blacks, and it was delicious. I believe any good, hard apple will be just as good.
Saucy Apple Pie
8 small Granny Smith apples, or as needed
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 (9-inch) double-crust pie pastry, thawed (homemade or store-bought)
Peel and core apples, then thinly slice. Set aside.
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, and stir to form a paste; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add both sugars and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Press one pastry into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out remaining pastry so it will overhang the pie by about 1/2 inch, then cut that pastry into 8 1-inch strips and set aside.
Place sliced apples in the bottom crust, forming a slight mound.
To make the lattice crust: Lay four strips vertically and evenly spaced over top of the filled pie, using longer strips in the center and shorter strips at the edges.
Fold the first and third strips all the way back so they’re almost falling off the pie. Lay one of the unused strips perpendicular over the second and fourth strips, then unfold the first and third strips back into their original position.
Fold the second and fourth vertical strips back. Lay one of the three unused strips perpendicular over top. Unfold the first and third strips back into their original position.
Repeat to weave in the last two strips of pastry. Fold and trim excess dough at the edges as necessary, and pinch to secure.
Slowly and gently pour the sugar-butter mixture over the crust, making sure it seeps down through the lattice and over the sliced apples. Brush some over the top of the lattice, but make sure it doesn’t run off the sides.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, and continue baking until apples are soft, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve pie warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. But it’s also good with a cup of coffee at breakfast!
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.