A rosemary-laced cornmeal crust gives this lattice-topped apple pie from Drummond Ranch pie contestant Annette Rosenheck a fragrant, savory dimension. This recipe first appeared in our August/September 2013 Heartland issue with the story Big Pie Country.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 1⁄4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. cornmeal
- 1⁄2 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 1⁄2 cup ice-cold water
For the filling:
- 3 lb. sweet apples, such as Golden Delicious or McIntosh, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 3⁄4 cup sugar, plus 1 tbsp. for sprinkling
- 3 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 1⁄2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp. water
Instructions
Step 1
Make the crust: Pulse flour, sugar, cornmeal, rosemary, salt, and butter in a food processor into pea-size crumbles. Add water; pulse until dough comes together. Form ⅔ dough into a flat disk; repeat with remaining ⅓ dough. Wrap disks in plastic wrap; chill for 1 hour.
Step 2
On a lightly floured surface, roll larger disk of dough into a 12" round. Fit dough into a 9" pie plate. Trim edges, leaving about 1" dough overhanging edge of plate. Roll the smaller disk into an 8" square. Slice into 8 strips; chill both doughs 30 minutes.
Step 3
Make the filling: Toss apples, ¾ cup sugar, cornstarch, 1 tbsp. cinnamon, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Arrange apples evenly over dough in the pie plate; dot with butter. To make the lattice, lay 4 dough strips horizontally across top of pie, fold first and third strips back on themselves, then lay another strip perpendicular to them, just off center. Unfold first and third strips, fold back second and fourth strips, then lay another strip to the right of first perpendicular strip. Repeat weave pattern with remaining dough strips; chill 30 minutes.
Step 4
Heat oven to 400°. Trim edges of dough and crimp. Brush with egg mixture; sprinkle with 1 tbsp. sugar and remaining cinnamon. Bake until crust is golden brown and apples are tender, about 1 hour. Let cool completely before serving.
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