Apple Lattice Pie- Han Do

Apple Lattice Pie

Ingredients:

Crust

• 606g AP flour
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 114g vegetable shortening
• 226g cold unsalted butter
• 128-142g ice water

Filling

• 6 apples (peeled, cored, & sliced)
• 2.63 oz. sugar
• 1 oz. apple cider
• 1/2 oz. cornstarch
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/8 t. nutmeg
• 1/8 t. allspice

Directions:

DAY 1

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
2. Cut in the shortening until it's in lumps the size of small peas.
3. Dice the butter into 1/2 inch pieces and cut into the mixture until you have flakes of butter the size of your fingernail.
4. Add the water, two tablespoons at a time, mixing with a fork as you sprinkle the water in to the dough.
5. When the dough is moist enough to hold together when you squeeze it, transfer it to a piece of wax or parchment paper. It's ok if there are dry spots in the pile. Use a spray bottle of water to lightly spritz these places; that way you'll add just enough water to bring the dough together without creating a wet spot.
6. Fold the dough over on itself three or four times to bring it together; then divide it in tow pieces and pat it into 3/4 inch think discs.
7. Roll the disk on it's edge, like a wheel, to smooth out the edges. This step will ensure your dough will roll out evenly, without a lot of cracks and splits at the edges later. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
8. For the filling: In a large bowl, stir together the filling ingredients, mixing until well combined. Store in fridge.

DAY 2

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Roll out your individual pie crust about 1/2" larger than your pan, and lay it gently into the pan.
3. Spoon in the filling.
4. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to a little bit bigger than your pie pan.
5. Cut into 1/2" wide strips (12)
6. Arrange 6 strips across pie. Form lattice by arranging 6 strips diagonally across first strips.
7. Gently press ends into curst edges.
8. Brush lattice with milk. Sprinkle lightly with additional sugar.
9. Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until top is brown and filling is bubbly.

Preparation Method:
For this recipe, I used the biscuit method. The biscuit method requires you to cut in the fat to create "raincoats." When the shortening is cut in , it is important to cut it into the size of peas to create a flaky crust. If you cut it into the size of cornmeal, it will be tender but more crumbly. The temperature of the water is also very important, it has to be very cold so the butter does not melt. You also cannot handle the dough too much because it will toughen the dough (that's what happened to me). Compared to what I made in class, this time, it was much more difficult because I was doing this all by myself compared to working with a group in class. In class, we had a shorter amount of time so while we had to work fast, but when I was doing it alone, I took a really long time so the butter had probably melted a bit. Also, on the second day, I took out the crust from the fridge and it was extremely dry! That means I did not add enough water to combine the ingredients together. I was about to give up on it but then I decided to continue working with what I had because I didn't want to disappoint my parents. Plus it would have been a waste! So I had to work with what I had. It was very difficult to roll out the dough because it kept cracking.

I learned from this experience that I need to add more water to the crust next time. I also learned that it's important to work fast so the butter does not melt and not to overwork the dough because it will get tough. But the filling turned out delicious! (the only thing that turned out right was the filling)

Critique:
Taste- The crust tasted doughy, buttery, and a bit salty. It most likely tasted doughy because it was overworked and I added a little bit more flour. The filling tasted autumn-like, fruity, lemony, sweet, and spiced. The filling really smelled like fall and seasonal.

Aroma- The pie smelled buttery, sweet, and spiced. It smelled very delicious but the crust did not taste delicious.

Appearance- The pie did not look appetizing at all. The layering of the lattice was uneven, the edges were all cracked. It look very dry and tough. The edges were also more brown compared to the lattice, which was a lighter brown.

Texture- The texture of the crust was tough and dry. It was not what I wanted it to turn out like. The filling was soft and slightly crisp from the apples.

Assessment:

I probably will not make this recipe again, because it was really difficult. But I need to reclaim my pride and make it better next time! So I will but not until a while later. My parents said the liked the filling but not the crust. Which is what I had expected. They said it was too tough and hard. This recipe was a total failure for me. It did not even look appetizing. The edges were all messed up. It was my second time making this but the first time was a success, the second was a failure! I learned from this experience that I should never overwork a dough, because it will just make it tough. I would recommend this recipe to someone I know because it is a good recipe but I just made it really bad. But in my opinion, I would rather go buy a pie than make one because ones already made taste better than my homemade one. But it's fun to make it by yourself even if it did not taste good!