I love making desserts. But more importantly for me, I love making desserts BEAUTIFUL!! This post is all about making a beautifully decorated pie crust – and I chose an apple pie for my “leaf design”. I used a leaf cookie cutter that I have from Sur La Table. You can use any leaf cutter you can find.
I took a shortcut as well, and used 3 Pillsbury pie crusts for my pie. I cut the leaves out of 2 of the crusts, then used the 3rd one for the bottom of my pie crust. Feel free to make a homemade pie crust if you prefer – and use your favorite apple pie recipe as well! Would love to hear about YOUR family apple pie recipes!
I found that the pie crust design holds up best if you chill it well before baking it.
APPLE PIE RECIPE
Line an 8″ or 9″ pie pan with 1 bottom crust, making sure to overlap onto the edges of the pan. Trim. Refrigerate while you make your filling.
- 6-8 large apples (I used yellow delicious, and honey crisp. Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Jonagold are good choices as well). Peel, core, and slice into 1/4″ slices.
- 3/4 c granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8″ tsp nutmeg
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 c apple cider or apple juice
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Milk – to brush on the leaf pattern
- cinnamon/sugar to sprinkle on top of the pie
In a med saucepan, combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Whisk together. Stir in the apple cider and lemon juice. Cook on med/low whisking frequently, until thick and bubbly. Pour into a bowl, and chill.
Place the apple slices in a large bowl, cover with plastic, and microwave for 2 min. Stir, then microwave for another 2 min. This helps to begin softening the apples before baking. Pour the cooled sauce over the apples, and refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the pie dough leaves. Roll out 2 of the store bought crusts very lightly – as they are already about 1/4″ thick. Cut out the leaf shapes, and set aside on a sheet pan. I cut about 100 leaves to cover my pie. Refrigerate to chill.
Prepare the bottom pie crust by sprinkling about 2 tsp of flour over the bottom crust. This helps thicken any excess apple juices. Pour the apple mixture into the bottom crust, and pack down gently.
Brush a little milk around the edges of the bottom pie crust. Begin lining the edge with a layer of leaves. Brush the top 1/2 of these again with milk, and add the second layer, over-lapping the 1st layer. Continue until the pie is covered in leaves.
Brush each leaf with a little more milk, then sprinkle pie with cinnamon/sugar mixture.
CHILL PIE BEFORE BAKING – about 15 minutes, to chill the leaves. This will help them hold their design while baking.
Place pie on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake for another 40 to 50 min. Watch crust, as you may need to cover the edges with foil, or a pie guard, if it begins to brown too much. You want it light golden, and bubbly.
Serve with vanilla, or cinnamon ice cream!
