Apple Pie

dessert · baking · fruit · classic

Pastry on the outside. Apple pie usually has a pastry shell on the bottom and top, which gets golden and crispy when baked. Some pies have a solid top crust, while others have strips of pastry woven together in a criss-cross pattern called a lattice.

Apples are the star. The filling is mostly sliced apples mixed with sugar, spices, and sometimes a little butter. Different types of apples can be used, and some bakers mix varieties to get the perfect sweet-tart flavor.

Keeping it crispy. Bakers sometimes bake the bottom crust separately first so it doesn't get soggy from the juicy apple filling. This trick helps create that perfect crispy texture everyone loves.

Tarte Tatin flipped. One fancy version called Tarte Tatin is made with the pastry on top and baked that way, but then it gets flipped upside down so the caramelized apples are showing on top instead of the crust.