Lattice-Topped Apple Pie #SundayFunday

 

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating fruit. Well, desserts made with fruit. Thanks to Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Sue of Palatable Pastime, Rebekah of Making Miracles, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for coordinating this low-stress group. 

Today Sneha of Sneha's Recipe is hosting and she's given us the prompt of making desserts with fruit. Here's the line-up of what the #SundayFunday bloggers are making...

• Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd Topping From  Amy's Cooking Adventures 
• Lattice-Topped Apple Pie From Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Cherry Pie Bars From Making Miracles
• Mango & Vanilla Panna Cotta From Mayuri's Jikoni
• Blackberry Lemon Bars From Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Strawberry Fool with Meringue Topper/Base From Sid's Sea Palm Cooking 
• Fruit & Chocolate Trifle From Sneha's Recipe
  
• Boozy Nectarine Crumble From Food Lust People Love
• Banana Enchiladas From A Day in the Life on the Farm

All the Fruit-Laden Possibilities

When I saw Sneha's theme, my mind swirled with the possibilities. I mean, fruit dessert. C'mon. Those are two of my favorite words. I thought about re-making my Gwetche Kuchen, a Hungarian Plum Tart. Or sharing any number of desserts with strawberries! Dacquoise Fraisier, anyone? Or Rose Petal-Strawberry Granita? So many favorites with citrus such as Candied Lemon Cupcakes, Lavender Panna Cotta with Lemon Curd, or Torta Agli Agrumi, a Triple-Citrus Mousse Cake.

Lattice-Topped Apple Pie

But, in the end, I decided to go with apple pie as it's one of our family's favorite fruit desserts.  We even love variations such as the Tourtière Landaise or A Shrunken (Apple) Heads Tart.

This is just a basic lattice-topped pie with some pie  crust flowers.

Ingredients makes one 9" pie

Crust

• 2 cups flour + more for rolling
• 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar
• 3/4 cups butter
• 2 Tablespoons vodka
• 1 Tablespoon Calvados (apple brandy, or more vodka)
• 1 Tablespoon cold water
• Also needed: parchment paper, rolling pin, pie pan

Filling

• 3 to 3-1/2 pounds apples, approximately 8 medium apples (I used organic Gala apples)
• 1/2 cup organic light brown sugar, divided
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 2 Tablespoon Calvados (apple brandy, or more vodka)
• 2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1" knob fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Procedure

Crust
In a food processor, combine the flour and sugar, pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add the butter and pulse until the texture looks mealy. Sprinkle in your liquids and pulse until combined. Remove the dough and press into a ball. Divide the dough in half and wrap each ball tightly with plastic. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Filling
Peel and core the apples. Slice; I used a mandolin slicer for thinner, more uniform pieces. Toss all of the apples with 1/4 cup of the sugar, place in a colander set over a large bowl and allow to drain for at least 90 minutes.

Pour the drained liquid to a small saucepan. Simmer until it's reduced to 2 Tablespoons. Set aside to cool. Toss the apples with the remaining sugar, flour, Calvados, lemon juice, salt, and all the spices.

Assembly
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper.

Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out into a 12" circle. Place dough into pie pan. Gently press the dough into the sides of the pan, crimping and trimming the edges as necessary. 

Layer the apples into the unbaked pie shell. Pour leftover liquid that remains in the bowl over the apples. Roll out the second pie dough and slice into strips. Lattice this dough over the apples. Press the edges of the dough around the rim of the pie. If you have leftover crust, like I did, you can make some pie crust blossoms. Brush the top crust with the reduced juice.

Place the pie on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake on the lowest rack of the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and continue to bake another 20 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool for a minimum of an hour.