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Is it even autumn without a slice of classic apple pie? This braided lattice apple pie is packed with fresh cinnamon apples tossed in a caramel-type sauce sealed in a buttery, flaky pie crust and topped with a beautiful braided lattice and decorative leaves. This is the only pie you need this fall season. You might want to make extra because this stuff does not last long.

This braided lattice apple pie is packed with cinnamon apples tossed in a caramel sauce and sealed in a buttery, flaky pie crust with a braided lattice top. | aheadofthyme.com

Ingredients in Apple Pie

pie dough - you will 3 pieces of pie dough for a 9-inch pie crust (or 160 grams each). I used my easy puff pastry pie dough. That recipe yields 2 pie crusts so I just increased the measurements to 1.5 to yield 3 pie crusts.
melted butter
brown sugar
water
all-purpose flour
apples - 7 heaping cups of cored, peeled and thinly sliced apples (approximately 6 to 7 apples).
ground cinnamon
egg + milk - for the egg wash on top of the pie.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, a rolling pin for preparing the pie dough, a mandol i ne slicer, and a 9-inch pie dish for baking.

How to Make the Best Braided Lattice Apple Pie

First, prepare the pie dough by rolling out roll out 3 pieces of easy puff pastry pie dough to approximately 12-inches. The extra third pie dough is used for braiding the lattice (which requires a lot of pie dough) and for the decorative leaf cutouts.

Next, prepare the apple pie filling by whisking together butter, sugar, water and flour in a mixing bowl. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir continuously for 2 minutes until it forms a smooth mixture. Remove from heat and set it aside. The sauce will be thick and more like a paste.

Place the peeled, cored and sliced apples into a large mixing bowl. (You can use a mandoline slicer to slice the apples or a knife). Add cinnamon and stir with a silicone spatula to coat the apple slices evenly. Pour the prepared sauce mixture in and stir to coat the apple slices well. Set the bowl aside.

Now, start to assemble the pie. Transfer one prepared dough disc into a 9-inch pie dish and gently press down to form into the bottom pie crust. Slowly pour the apple filling from the bowl into the dough-lined pie pan and use a spatula to spread them evenly across.

How to Make a Braided Lattice Top

First, make the braided lattice strips:

Slice the one rolled out pie dough into 15 strips, measuring ½-inch wide. Save the leftover dough scraps to the side.
Take 3 strips of equal length and squeeze the 3 ends together. Braid them together by moving the left strip across the middle strip. Then, move the right strip across the middle strip. Repeat the left and right to the middle until you reach the end of the braid. Squeeze to bind the 3 ends together.
Repeat the braiding will the remaining strips, until you have 5 braided strips.

Next, make the flat lattice strips by slicing the last rolled out pie dough into 5 strips, measuring 1-inch wide. Save the dough scraps to the side.

Now, assemble the lattice top:

Place 5 flat lattice strips of dough on top of the apple filling, evenly placed 1-inch apart (make sure to use the longer strips in the centre and shorter strips for the edges).
Fold back the 2nd and 4th strip halfway and place the longest braided strip in the centre, perpendicular to the first 5 strips. Place the 2nd and 4th strip back over that long strip.
Fold back the 1st and 3rd and 5th strip halfway and place a slightly shorter braided strip 1-inch away. Place the 1st and 3rd and 5th strip back over the shorter strip.
Continue adding and alternating braided strips to complete the lattice top crust.

Take the dough scraps and cut out decorative leaves and place them on top of the lattice pie. Press edges together and crimp with your fingers to seal. You can place more scraps along the edge and pinch them into the edges to seal.

Bake the Pie

Combine beaten egg and milk in a small bowl to make the egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the lattice crust and edges. If your oven is not ready at this point, store the assembled pie in the fridge to prevent the pie crust from disintegrating (the butter in the dough melts quickly at room temperature).

Transfer the apple pie into a 400 F preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until the edges of the pie start turning golden brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and bake for additional 40 minutes until the pie crust is golden brown. You might see the pie filling start to ooze out.

Leave the apple pie in the pan at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. Serve a slice of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tips for Storing Pie

How long will homemade pie keep? This apple pie will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, loosely covered with foil or plastic cling wrap.
How to freeze unbaked apple pie: You can freeze the entire unbaked pie to make things easier when you actually want to bake and serve this pie. I would recommend to initially prepare the pie in a disposable pie tin, for easier storage. Then, tightly wrap the unbaked pie in 3 layers of plastic wrap and then place inside a sealed freezer bag and store for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen but add an extra 5 minutes in the first baking step (so bake for 25 minutes at 400 F).
How to freeze baked apple pie: You can freeze baked pie for up to 3 months. To freeze, simply wrap the pie (or each slice) tightly with aluminum foil or plastic cling wrap. Then place inside a freezer bag for storing.

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