Apple Cranberry Pie with Lattice Crust
A bright and cozy cranberry apple pie with a classic lattice crust. Tart cranberries, tender apples, and a flaky homemade pastry make this a Fall and holiday favorite.
Servings 8 slices
Ingredients
- 1 recipe all-butter pie crust homemade or store-bought
For the filling:
- 1 pound Granny Smith apples about 3, peeled, cored and sliced
- ½ pound cranberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
For the pie crust:
- Make 1 recipe all-butter pie crust as instructed till step 6, covered and chilled in the fridge before you start with the rest.
For the filling:
- In a large saucepan, put 1 pound Granny Smith apples, ½ pound cranberries, ½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon orange zest and 1 tablespoon butter and cook over low heat until butter melts and fruit begins to release their juices, about 3-5 minutes, stirring often so the flour doesn’t clump. Don’t let the apples soften too much.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a shallow dish to cool while rolling the dough. Don't use a deep bowl, or it will not cool down fast. If not using immediately, let cool and keep refrigerated, covered, for a few days.
To assemble:
- When the filling is cooling, take the cold dough from the refrigerator and divide it into two uneven pieces (⅔ and ⅓). Keep the smaller piece refrigerated and covered while you roll the other one.
- Roll the large piece to about ¼ of an inch with a lightly floured rolling pin, using additional flour to prevent sticking.
- Transfer it to a 9-inch (24cm) pie plate with a removable bottom. It is best to make it fit in the pan without stretching it, removing excess dough. Refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes before filling. Meanwhile, stir the filling so it cools down faster.
- Add the cooled apple filling to the cold lined pan and spread to cover the whole pan. Freeze the pie plate for 10-15 minutes (or refrigerate for 30 minutes if you have no other option).
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200°C).
- When ready, roll the small piece of dough on a lightly floured surface and cut strips with a pizza cutter.
- Make a lattice top crust over the filling, adding strips one way and then the other, creating a crisscross pattern. Press where the strips meet the bottom dough to adhere.
- Take the pie from the freezer or refrigerator, brush with water or milk and sprinkle 2 tablespoons light brown sugar on top of the lattice.
- Bake in the middle rack for about 20 minutes and then turn the oven temperature down to 350ºF (180°C) and bake for 20-25 more minutes, or until golden and the filling is bubbly. If the top is browning too quickly, cover the edges with foil (not the center, so the steam can evaporate).
- Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut cold if possible, after refrigerating it and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Notes
It's important to cool the filling before adding it to the lined pie dish that is resting in the fridge.
Using a cooled filling on a cold dough avoids some sogginess after the pie is baked. So, if needed, wait until the filling is cooled down or just slightly warm. And make sure the pie crust is cold.
