Best Lattice Top Apple Plum Skillet Pie Recipes

LATTICE-TOPPED APPLE PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, water, tapioca, cinnamon and nutmeg; toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes., In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide in half, making one half slightly larger. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out larger portion of pastry to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to plate; trim even with edge of plate. Add filling; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. , Trim, seal and flute edges. Brush with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Cover edges loosely with foil., Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 40-50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

SLAB APPLE PIE WITH LATTICE CRUST

Steps:

• Peel, core and cut the apples into 1/4-inch slices. Toss the slices in a bowl with the lemon juice and zest to keep them from browning. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle this over the apples and toss until the fruit is evenly coated.
• Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the apple mixture and saute for 5 minutes. Add the cream and vanilla and continue to cook the apples, stirring often, until the juices thicken and the apples are just tender, 5 to 10 minutes more (see Cook's Note). Set aside to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Roll out one-third of the tripled pie dough into a large (about 14-by-19-inch) rectangle. Wrap the dough loosely around the rolling pin and transfer it to a half-sheet pan, gently pressing it into the edges and corners of the pan. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork, then refrigerate.
• Roll the remaining two batches of dough into one large, rough 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Slice into lattice strips. (You can cut them all even thickness or alternate between thick and thin strips. I cut 1 1/4-inch strips and 1/2-inch strips.) Gather any dough scraps, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Build the lattice on a sheet of parchment set on the back side of a half-sheet pan sprinkled with flour. Start by laying strips crosswise about 1/2 inch apart. Gently fold every other strip halfway over. Place a strip lengthwise on the parchment and fold the shorter strips back over. Fold up the opposite strips you just used and place another strip lengthwise; fold the short strips back over. Repeat on both sides until you have a basket weave pattern. Roll out any remaining dough scraps and use cookie cutters to cut leaf or flower shapes. Place the lattice and sheet pan in the freezer while the filling cools.
• Assembly: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spoon the cooled filling onto the bottom crust in an even layer. Slide the chilled lattice top onto the bottom crust, using the parchment to help. With a sharp knife, cut the lattice flush with the edges of the pan. Use egg wash to adhere any cut-outs to the top of the pie. Brush egg wash over the crust and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Bake until the filling is bubbling in the center and the top and bottom crusts are golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together the flour, salt, sugar and butter until the mixture resembles cornmeal with some pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
• In a small bowl, stir together the ice water and the lemon juice. Slowly add the liquid to the flour mixture, pulsing, until the dough just comes together. Squeeze a small piece of dough between your thumb and index finger to make sure it holds its shape.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently turn it over each a few times so that any dry bits are incorporated. Form into a disk or rectangle, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
• Adapted from "Pie It Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes, and Other Pastries Reinvented" by Gesine Bullock-Prado © Stewart, Tabori & Chang 2012. Provided courtesy of Gesine Bullock-Prado. All rights reserved.

OLD-FASHIONED LATTICE-TOP APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball; divide into 2 pieces. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each in plastic; chill 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly before rolling out.)
• For filling:
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add apples and toss to blend.
• Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold edge under, forming high-standing rim; crimp. Add filling. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round. Cut into twelve 1-inch-wide strips. Arrange 6 strips across pie. Form lattice by arranging 6 strips diagonally across first strips. Gently press ends into crust edges. Brush lattice with milk. Sprinkle lightly with additional sugar. Bake pie 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Continue baking until juices bubble thickly and crust is deep golden, covering edges with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool on rack 1 hour. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand on rack.)

LATTICE CRUST APPLE PIE

Steps:

• To make the dough by hand: Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
• To make the dough in a food processor: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry, add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade and bring the dough together by hand.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: Put the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Peel, halve and core the apples. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Toss the apple with the lemon juice. Add the sugar and toss to combine evenly.
• Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the apples and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes.
• Strain the apples in a colander over a medium bowl to catch all the juice. Shake the colander to get as much liquid as possible. Return the juices to the skillet, and simmer over medium heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
• Toss the apples with the reduced juice and spices in a medium bowl. Set aside to cool completely. (This filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen for up to 6 months.)
• To assemble the pie: Cut the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a disc 11 to 12 inches wide. Layer the dough between pieces of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
• Place a baking sheet on a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with one of the discs of dough, and trim it so it lays about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pan. Add the apple filling to the pan.
• Use a chef's knife or a pizza cutter and cut the second round into 1/2-inch thick strips. Lay strips of dough, evenly spaced, across the entire pie. Weave more strips of dough perpendicular through the previous strips to make a lattice or basket weave design across the entire pie. Trim the excess ends from the strips of dough. Pinch the bottom crust edge and lattice edge together, and flute the edge as desired. Brush the surface of the dough with egg and then sprinkle with sugar. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Bake the pie on the preheated baking sheet until the crust is golden, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 3 hours before serving. The pie keeps well at room temperature (covered) for 24 hours, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

LATTICE TOP APPLE PLUM SKILLET PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Place the butter in the freezer while you measure the dry ingredients. Place the water over ice (you will drain it later) or into the freezer to chill.
• Stir together the flours, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Use the coarse side of a box grater to grate the butter all over the flour. Toss together with your fingers, pinching to break some of the butter into smaller bits and to coat with flour, working quickly to keep the butter cold. Continue rubbing until you have some pea-sized pieces of butter, with some slightly larger knobs. Add the vinegar, drain the water (if over ice) and add, a few tablespoons at a time, stirring with a fork to make a shaggy dough that mostly holds together (a food processor works well for this, too!). Squeeze the dough to form a ball, adding more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to hold it together if needed.
• Divide the dough in half and place each half on a generous sheet of plastic wrap. Sprinkle lightly with water if needed (if still dry and crumbly). Use the edges of the plastic wrap to pull and press the dough into a nice round disk and wrap tightly. Repeat with the remaining dough. If using right away, chill the dough in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. Otherwise, refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 1 month.
• For the filling: Toss together the plums, apples, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix well. Butter a cast-iron (or other oven-proof) skillet generously with butter and transfer the filling to the skillet, taking care to scrape any juices into the pan. Dot the top of the fruit with small pieces of the butter. Set aside (or refrigerate for up to 1 hour while you prepare the dough; don't leave too long since the lemon can react with the cast iron).
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove one disk of the dough from the fridge and roll on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Roll the dough into an 1/8-inch-thick round. Make sure the dough isn't sticking to the surface, then use a knife, pizza cutter or pastry scraper to cut the dough into 10 thick strips, each about 1 1/2 inches wide.
• Arrange the strips over the fruit in a crosshatch pattern: First, lay 3 strips across the top of the pie in the same direction. Pull the middle strip back slightly, then overlap with a strip going the opposite direction. Repeat, lifting the strips as needed to weave the perpendicular strip up and over. (The rye flour makes the dough flaky but delicate, so once the strips are on the fruit, don't fuss with them much. Don't worry if anything tears-you can press it together and use the egg wash to repair later.) Weave any extra dough around the outside rim of the skillet and press together, using cookie cutters or your fingers to make a design.
• Whisk together the beaten egg and cream. Brush the egg wash all over the top, using it to help repair any rips or tears. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake the skillet pie for about 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 250 degrees F and continue to bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is evenly golden brown, another 40 to 50 minutes. Cool slightly before serving, or cool completely. Cut into eight pieces. Spoon into shallow bowls and serve with ice cream.