Citrus Apple Pie with Brown Sugar Topping
Submitted by deenal_m
Elegant lattice apple pie with orange-scented crust, honey-sweetened Granny Smith apples, and brown sugar crumb topping woven into the filling.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1½ hrsThis pie goes beyond basic with orange zest worked into both the crust and the apple filling, creating bright citrus notes that cut the sweetness.
Honey replaces some of the sugar in the filling, and here’s the clever part: instead of dumping streusel on top, you layer it between the apple slices like mortar, building the filling upward. A lattice crust gets woven over everything and brushed with egg wash for shine.
The technique takes patience but delivers a bakery-quality result.
Kitchen Tips
- Refrigerate assembled dough 1 hour before rolling for easier handling
- Drain macerated apples and reserve liquid; use it to seal lattice strips
- Layer crumbs between apple slices rather than just on top for better distribution
- High initial temperature (450°F for 5 min) sets crust before reducing to 350°F
Ingredients
Directions
For pie crust, sift flour and salt into large bowl.
Cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add orange rind. Sprinkle in juice and water. 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with fork until flour is moistened and soft dough forms.
Shape into ball.
Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour.
For crumb topping, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon.
Work in butter with fingers until mixture is crumbly.
For filling, peel core and cut apples into ½-inch slices. Put slices in large bowl; toss with 1 to 1½ tablespoons flour.
Add sugar, cinnamon, orange rind, vanilla extract, nutmeg and salt.
Stir in honey; let stand 1 hour.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roll half of dough into a circle; fit in metal, 9-inch pie pan.
Trim edge. Drain liquid from apples, reserve.
Set ¼ cup of the crumb topping aside.
Layer apples with remaining crumbs in dough-lined pan.
Use crumbs like mortar to build fruit up.
Dot apples with 1½ tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with 5 tablespoons reserved apple liquid.
Roll out remaining dough; cut with knife or fluted pastry wheel.
Weave strips into lattice over fruit.
Seal strips at edge of pan, moistening with apple liquid.
Flute edge. Sprinkle reserved crumbs in holes of lattice.
Brush only crust edge and strips with beaten egg.
Bake on foil-lined baking sheet at 450 degrees, 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350℉ (180℃); bake until apples are tender, 50 to 55 more minutes (or only 40 minutes if you like crunchier apples).
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