Move over bland apple pie, here's a pie bursting with intense apple flavor! The secret is including boiled apple cider and a blend of spices in the filling. Top it off with a pretty woven lattice pie crust to make this pie an all-around winner!
Why this recipe works
- Boiled apple cider gives this pie an extra boost of apple flavor
- Using a blend of apple pie spices gives the filling a more complex flavor than cinnamon alone
- Weaving a lattice top makes the pie pretty while allowing steam to escape, and is easier to do than you think!
It's Fall, and that means baking pies. Pumpkin pies, pecan pies, and the combo, Praline Pumpkin Pie.
However, nothing says Fall more than a delicious apple pie. All those wonderful varieties of Autumn apples available just beg to be baked into pie.
But sometimes those apple pies fall short with their bland apple filling. You know, no apple flavor, or maybe a pinch of cinnamon flavor in the background.
Have no fear, I'm here to save you from boring apple pie! This pretty lattice topped apple pie features my favorite secret apple ingredient, boiled apple cider. Add in a mix of your own apple pie spice for a flavor kick and an all-butter crust, and you've got a winning pie at hand!
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What you need
What really takes this apple pie from good to great is the boiled apple cider. This product concentrates all the apple goodness in the cider, and using it intensifies the overall apple flavor of the pie. You can buy it ready made, but making it at home is super simple. All you need is fresh apple cider and some time.
If boiled cider isn't available, you can always use apple juice concentrate.
Using your own apple pie spice mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom gives this pie complex spice notes. If you prefer, you can use 1½ teaspoons of apple pie spice instead. Instant ClearJel is a thickener that helps keep the filling from being overly wet. You can also use ¼ cup flour or 2 tablespoons cornstarch instead.
You'll need a pie crust for a double crust pie. My favorite is my all-butter No Recipe Pie Crust (using a 12-8-4 recipe ratio and sweetened with 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar), but you can use any type of homemade or store-bought pie dough you prefer.
What type of apples to use? Your favorite baking apples, of course! See the FAQs below for some suggestions.
How to make the best apple pie
Step 1: Prepare the pie crust
If you're using homemade pie dough, roll out one of the discs into a 12-inch circle, about ¼-inch high. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan by draping the dough loosely around the rolling pin.
Gently settle the dough into the pan and trim the overhang to about 1-inch, setting aside any scraps. Chill the pie crust while you make the filling.
Step 2: Slice the apples
Peel, core, and slice the apples into ¼-inch thick wedges. Place apples in a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice to coat. Whisk together the sugar, Instant ClearJel (or your thickener of choice), spices, and salt, then sprinkle the mixture over the apple slices (photo 1).
Step 3: Fill the pie shell
Fold in the boiled cider (or apple juice concentrate) and the vanilla, then transfer the mixture to your chilled bottom crust (photo 2).
Distribute the butter cubes over the top of the apples, then return the pie to the refrigerator while you prepare the lattice.
Step 4: Weave the lattice top
Roll out the second dough disc on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Using a pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or sharp knife, cut the rolled-out dough into strips 1- to 2-inches wide, or to your desired width.
Remove the pie from the refrigerator and top it by weaving the dough strips over and under each other, pulling back alternating strips to make the weave. See How to make a lattice pie crust for step-by-step instructions and pictures.
Step 5: Crimp the edges and glaze the top
Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal, then tuck the overhang under itself and press down to create the edge. Smooth around the edges for a neater appearance, then crimp the edges with a fork or your method of crimping. You can use any dough scraps to roll out and cut decorative shapes.
To create a shiny glaze on the finished crust, brush the lattice and edges with milk or an egg wash. If you made decorations, place them on top of the lattice and glaze them as well (photo 3). For added crunch, sprinkle the pie with coarse sugar.
Step 6: Bake the pie
Bake the pie on the lowest oven rack at 425°F for 20 minutes until the crust begins to turn golden (photo 4). Cover the edges of the pie with a pie shield or foil to keep them from browning too quickly, if necessary.
Rotate the baking pan, move it to the center rack, and reduce the oven to 375°F. Continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes more until the crust is golden brown and you can see the thickened juices bubbling.
Step 7: Cool before slicing
Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack for 3 to 4 hours to allow juices to set before slicing. You don’t want those juices all over your plate instead of in your pie, so be patient.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
You want to use apples (either solo or in combinations) that will be sweet and tart but won’t turn to mush when baking. I use Granny Smith and Empire, and Epicurious suggests Honeycrisp and Braeburn apples. Need more inspiration? Check out The very best pie apples from King Arthur Baking.
The main culprit to a soggy-bottomed pie is moisture. If your filling is too wet, that liquid will soak into the pie crust before it has a chance to set.
For a double crust pie (like fruit pies), make sure the filling doesn't have too much liquid. You can mix a thickener into the filling (like Instant ClearJel, flour, or cornstarch). Another option is to place the filling in a large colander and allow the juices to drain into a bowl. Reduce the drained juices by half in a small saucepan, fold the resulting syrup into the filling, then transfer to a chilled pie shell.
Generally speaking, you don't have to grease the pie pan because the high fat content in the pie dough should keep it from sticking. However, if you want to be doubly sure, you can lightly spray the pie pan with baking spray to make serving the pie easier after it's baked and cooled.
Pro tip: select the right pie pan
Ah the great debate...glass vs. metal? Which pie pan to use?
A glass pie pan is great because its clear bottom allows the radiant heat from the oven to bake the bottom of the pie, especially if you're baking at lower temperatures. Also, it's easy to see that the pie crust is done.
The downsides are that glass dishes take longer to reach the oven temperature allowing a juicy filling to soak the bottom. Plus, they can't go directly from the freezer to the oven because they're not designed to withstand that kind of thermal shock and can break.
A metal pie pan conducts heat better than glass, especially at high temperatures, so it can go from cold to hot quickly without thermal shock issues. That's why starting the pie at a higher temperature works for this apple pie. On the downside, you can't see if the crust is fully baked as you can with glass.
If you do choose to bake in a glass pie pan, don't grease the pan, and reduce the oven temperature by 25°F.
Full of apple flavor
Just the delicious aroma of the pie baking predicts how good this apple pie tastes!
And the taste? Robust apple flavor from the boiled cider, and the spice mix gives a distinctive kick that cinnamon alone can't provide. The all-butter crust is tender and flaky, a perfect counterpoint to the spicy filling.
Served warmed, all it needs is a scoop of vanilla ice cream to complete the picture!
Take advantage of the bounty of Fall apples and make this pretty and tasty lattice apple pie today. No more boring apple pies for you!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Related Recipes
Pies and tarts can be sweet or savory, and there are so many fillings from which to choose. From fruits to nuts and custards, there's bound to be a pie or tart that catches your fancy! Here are a few choices to try.
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Recipe
Lattice Topped Apple Pie with Boiled Apple Cider
Equipment
- pastry brush
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 recipe double pie crust, or store bought, see Recipe Notes
For the filling
- 7 to 8 cups apples, peeled, cored, and sliced, about 3 pounds or 4 to 5 large apples, see Recipe Notes
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar, or to taste
- 1½ Tablespoons Instant ClearJel, see Recipe Notes
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, see Recipe Notes
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, see Recipe Notes
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, or ground allspice, see Recipe Notes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup boiled apple cider, or thawed apple juice concentrate
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, optional
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, small dice
For the topping
- 2 Tablespoons milk, or egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water)
- 2 Tablespoons coarse sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Prepare and chill a pie crust for a double crust pie (using a 12-8-4 recipe ratio), sweetened with 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar if desired, or use a store-bought double crust pie dough.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F with racks placed on the bottom rung and in the center of the oven. If desired, lightly spray a 9-inch pie pan (that’s at least 1½-inches deep) with baking spray (which will make serving the pie easier after it's baked and cooled).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the discs into a 12-inch circle, about ¼-inch high (if your pan is 2-inch deep, increase the circle to 13-inches). Transfer the dough to the pie pan by draping the dough loosely around the rolling pin. Gently settle the dough into the pan and trim the overhang to about 1-inch, setting aside any scraps. Chill the pie crust while you make the filling.
- Prepare the filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples into ¼-inch thick wedges. Place apples in a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice to coat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, Instant ClearJel (or your thickener of choice), spices, and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the apple slices, stirring. Fold in the boiled cider (or apple juice concentrate) and the vanilla, if using.
- If your mixture is especially wet, you can place the apples in a large colander and allow the juices to drain into a bowl while you get ready to assemble the pie.
- Assemble the pie: Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and spoon in the drained apple mixture. Replace the pie back in the refrigerator.
- If you drained the apples, transfer the liquid into a small sauce pan. Bring it to a boil and reduce until it’s thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Pour the syrup over the filling.
- Distribute the butter cubes over the top of the apples, then return the pie to the refrigerator while you prepare the lattice.
- Roll out the second dough disc on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Using a pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or sharp knife, cut the rolled-out dough into strips 1- to 2-inches wide, or to your desired width.
- Remove the pie from the refrigerator and top it by weaving the dough strips over and under each other, pulling back alternating strips to make the weave (see How to make a lattice pie crust for step-by-step instructions and pictures).
- Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal, then tuck the overhang under itself and press down to create the edge. Smooth around the edges for a neater appearance, then crimp the edges with a fork or your method of crimping. You can use any dough scraps to roll out and cut decorative shapes.
- To create a shiny glaze on the finished crust, brush the lattice and edges with milk or an egg wash. If you made decorations, place them on top of the lattice and glaze them as well. Sprinkle coarse sugar all over the top of the pie for a nice crunch, then place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up the crust while the oven finishes heating.
- Place a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper on the bottom rack to preheat.
- Bake the pie: Place the pie on the preheated half sheet baking pan and bake for 20 minutes until the crust begins to turn golden. Rotate the baking pan, move it to the center rack, and reduce the oven to 375°F. Cover the edges of the pie with a pie shield or foil to keep them from browning too quickly, if necessary. Continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes more until the crust is golden brown and you can see the thickened juices bubbling.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack for 3 to 4 hours to allow juices to set before slicing. You don’t want those juices all over your plate instead of in your pie, so be patient.
- Store the pie for a day or so at room temperature. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate it for up to 5 days, or wrap it well and freeze for longer storage.
