Making a beautiful double crust pie is easier than you think, espcially with clear instruction on how to make a lattice pie crust.
Bakers...start your ovens!
I had a baking frenzy last week. Not only did I bake three pies and pumpkin bread (and even a pumpkin challah!) for Thanksgiving dinner, two days later we held an engagement party for my older daughter and future son-in-law for our family in California.
We expected about 50 people, and while I was going to buy the appetizers (thanks, Costco!), I wanted to make the desserts. All of them.
Six different dishes, to be exact, including a double crust pie with a lattice pie crust (something I'd always wanted to learn). Plus, my younger daughter wanted to make a Geode Cake for her sister and future brother-in-law, so I baked four cake layers.
Needless to say (although I am saying it), advance planning was critical. Many thanks go to my patient and wonderful mother-in-law for her ingredient- and equipment-gathering prowess, as well as her tolerating the invasion of her kitchen.
Luckily, everyone cooperated (both girls helped quite a bit), everything turned out well, and I (mostly) kept my sanity. A good time was had by all...
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Learn to make a lattice pie crust
While several of the items I baked were tried and true annual Thanksgiving favorites, I chose some new recipes as well.
One of these was Sally's Baking Addiction's Cranberry Almond Apple Pie. The filling was straightforward enough (sliced apples and fresh cranberries), and the addition of almond paste at the bottom of the crust (before adding in the filling) made this pie stand out.
This pie also featured a lattice pie crust design, a technique that had always awed and intimidated me. It just looks so hard! But I wanted these pies to look as special as they were going to taste (it's for a party, after all), so...challenge accepted!
The recipe gave pretty good instructions on how to weave a lattice pie crust, but another post gave more complete instructions, plus design ideas and even YouTube tutorial from Saveur magazine.
The ball, as they say, was in my court (the ball of dough, that is). Seeing is believing.
For the pie crust itself, while you can use any pie crust recipe you'd like, I recommend my No Recipe Pie Crust (using a ratio of 12-8-4 flour, fat, water). That will make enough for the two crusts needed here.
You can cut shapes with the leftover crust dough to decorate the top of the lattice (and hide any breakage). Just lay the shapes on the egg wash-glazed lattice and glaze the shapes as well (they deserve golden lovin', too!).
I'm really excited that now I'll be able to make lattice pie crust designs! I think an Apple pie, Chicken Pot pie, or even Moroccan Beef pie will be on the menu in the near future.
I really don't think my family (or co-workers) will much mind. Let the baking frenzy (re)begin!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Recipes for pie
Pies 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 that catches your fancy! Here are a few choices to try.
Recipes for pie crust & more
Need a base for a recipe? No problem! Here are recipes for a basic pie crust, graham cracker crusts, and a shortcrust pastry. Plus how to make a lattice pie crust!
Recipe
How to make a lattice pie crust
Equipment
- rolling pin
Ingredients
- 1 recipe double pie crust
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water, for egg wash
Instructions
- Prepare your double pie crust. Ease the bottom layer into your pie pan and fill as your recipe requires.
- Roll out the dough for your top crust to about a 12-inch circle, less than ¼-inch thick. That will be about the height of two quarters.
- Using a straight or fluted sides of a pastry wheel (or other cutting tool), cut out strips of desired widths from your rolled out pie crust. You'll need about 10 to 12 pieces for a standard 9-inch pie.
- Starting in the middle of the pieces you just cut out, transfer every other strip of dough and lay them parallel to each other on top of your filling, at whatever spacing you want.
- Turn back every other strip of dough a little more than halfway, then take the longest strip left of the ones you cut out and lay it perpendicularly across the top of the pie on the strips not turned back.
- Straighten out the turned-back strips and turn back strips you didn't touch the first time. Lay the next smallest piece of rolled out strip next to the first perpendicular piece.
- Repeat alternating turning-back the parallel strips to finish the current side, then turn the pie around and repeat the process for the other side.
- Once the strips are woven, crimp the edge of the lower crust onto the ends of the strips to seal them.
- Brush the top of the lattice with the egg wash to get that golden color pies deserve.
- Proceed with baking your pie as your recipe instructs. Enjoy!
