Description
This classic Apple Pie à la Mode recipe features a flaky all-butter crust filled with tender, cinnamon-spiced apples and topped with a beautiful lattice crust. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this dessert combines buttery pastry and sweet, soft fruit filling in a timeless, comforting treat perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the crust
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 220 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 110 g water
For the filling
- 1 kg apples (Pink Lady, Royal Gala or Fuji)
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 190 g brown sugar
- 1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1¼ tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2½ tbsp water
For assembling
- 5 tbsp almond flour or other finely ground nuts or breadcrumbs
For painting
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
For serving
- Vanilla ice cream or other preferred flavor
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, mix all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt together. Add the cold unsalted butter cubes and pinch the mixture to create a texture with roughly half tiny pieces and half medium-sized pieces of butter, ensuring a flaky crust. Add water and knead lightly with your hands just until the dough comes together, keeping visible butter chunks. Wrap the dough ball in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days, or freeze up to 2 months.
- Make the filling: Peel, core, and slice apples into 5mm slices, placing them into a large bowl. Transfer the apple slices into a large saucepan over medium heat, adding the unsalted butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, cornstarch, salt, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften and the mixture thickens to a honey-like consistency where you can see the base of the pan when stirring. Remove from heat and cool completely before assembling.
- Assemble the pie: Separate one-third of the dough for the lattice top and refrigerate it again. Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thickness and carefully transfer it into a pie or tart pan, pressing into the edges without cutting excess dough yet. Sprinkle almond flour or breadcrumbs evenly on the base before pouring in the cooled apple filling.
- Prepare the lattice: Roll out the reserved dough to 2mm thickness and cut into 2cm (⅔ inch) strips. Lay the strips parallel, 1cm apart, on the pie filling. Create a woven lattice by lifting alternating strips, folding them over themselves and placing perpendicular strips across, then unfolding to interleave strips alternately. Repeat this weaving technique over the entire pie surface.
- Finish crust edges: Trim excess dough, leaving a 1cm border. Fold the excess dough under itself to form a thick edge. Crimp the edges by pressing with a finger from inside the pan and wrapping with thumb and finger from outside to form decorative points all around.
- Bake the pie: Beat the egg with water and carefully brush it over the lattice and crust edges, avoiding the filling. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar. Cover edges with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes until the crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack until just warm.
- Serve: If desired, remove the pie from a removable-bottom pan by gently lowering the sides over an upside-down bowl, then slide the pie onto a serving dish. Serve slices warm with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream or preferred flavor for a perfect à la mode presentation.
Notes
- Use cold butter for the crust and handle dough gently to keep it flaky.
- Allow the filling to cool before assembling to prevent a soggy crust.
- Chill the dough before rolling to make it easier to work with.
- Cover pie edges with foil during baking to avoid over-browning.
- You can use almond flour as a barrier to keep crust crisp and absorb extra moisture.
- For lattice weaving, be patient and follow the folding technique for a beautiful appearance.
- Leftover crust can be frozen for up to two months.
- Any variety of baking apple can be used, but Pink Lady, Royal Gala, or Fuji are recommended for balanced sweetness and texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 of pie with ice cream)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
