This simple holiday staple, apple pie, is lifted to new heights with a festive star crust that takes only a few minutes more than a traditional crust and much less time than a lattice work crust. The end result is festive and elegant. This pie is also excellent with dried or fresh cranberries mixed in with the apple mixture. If desired, you can use your favorite shaped cookie cutter rather than stars.

Ingredients

7 - medium tart baking apples
1 - tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup - sugar
1 teaspoon - ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon - ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons - butter, cubed
- pastry for 2 nine inch crusts
1 - egg

Instructions

Place an oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples and place them in a large bowl. Toss the apples with the lemon juice to prevent browning as you finish slicing them. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and toss to coat well. Roll out the bottom crust to 11 inches and place in a 9 inch pie plate. Spoon the filling into the crust and dot with butter. Roll out the remaining crust to a 12 inch diameter. Cut stars from the dough with a floured cookie cutter, getting as close to the edges as you can. Place the stars on the pie, overlapping the edges of each star by a little bit to make a crust with no large holes, but many open areas. In a small bowl beat the egg. Brush the crust with the egg. Place the pie in the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling hot and the crust is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.

Preparation Time

Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Cooking Time : 40 minutes
Chilling Time : None
Total Time : 60 minutes

Number of Servings

Serves 8

Tips

This pie can be made up to 24 hours in advance and reheated in a 400 degree oven until hot just before serving.
Quicker : Commercial pie crusts can be used for this recipe, making it a snap to make.