I could not remember the last time I tried doing lattice work on a pie, so I thought it was time to just try it. And it really is easier than it looks. I most recently tried it with a rhubarb pie and then a mixed berry pie, which I will give the recipes for, but the main idea here is to give a pictorial on how to assemble and create the top.
Roll our your favorite double pie crust as usual, fitting the first into the pie dish so that the edges come up quite high. I like to give the base a light egg wash before filling it with fruit. Adding some lemon zest to a berry pie enhances the flavor. I mix the dry ingredients and spoon them over the fruit, then just shake and tap the dish.
Roll our your second half the same size and cut strips.
Taking every other strip . . .
loosely lay them on the fruit the same way, starting with the smallest so that they fit the size of the pie. Leave the ends alone.
Beginning with the next smallest, lay it the opposite direction,
lifting every other strip you cross. Repeat with each strip following the size pattern
and alternate how you begin each row . . . whether the strip goes over or under.
Once you have the pie covered, fold the ends under the bottom crust and flute the edges. Give it an egg wash and dust with coarse sugar if desired.
Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients:
- 5 cups, slightly peeled, chopped rhubarb
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 1 egg
Method:
- Pour boiling water over rhubarb, allow to sit a few minutes and drain.
- Mix sugar and flour and then stir in the egg.
- Mix fruit with sugar filling and fill pie crust.
- Cover with second pie crust, lattice work or your favorite crumble mix.
- Bake at 375 F for 60 - 90 minutes, until filling bubbles through slits. (I like to freeze them raw, the longer baking time is for frozen pie)
Mixed Berry Pie
Ingredients:
- 3 cups blueberries
- 3 cups mix of raspberries, blackberries and/or pitted cherries
- lemon zest
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 2 Tbsp tapioca
Method:
- Do a light egg wash on bottom shell and fill with fruit. Add a sprinkle of lemon zest and cover with sugar/flour/tapioca mixture.
- Cover with top, adding slits if not doing lattice work. Apply a light egg wash.
- Bake at 375 F for 60 - 75 minutes, until juices bubble through slits. Will take about 15 minutes longer with frozen pie.