How to Make Lattice Pie Crusts

One of the prettiest ways to dress up a fruit pie is with a lattice top. Make enough dough for a double-crust pie, and roll out the top crust. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the circle of dough into strips about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide.

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Simple lattice top

Using the shortest strips on the outside edge and the longest in the center, lay them across the pan about 1/2 inch apart, half vertically and half horizontally.

Woven lattice top

Lay half the strips on the pan, then pull every other strip back. Place a short strip across, return the pulled-back strips to their original position, and pull back alternate strips. Continue weaving the strips until they’re all used.

Sealing the edge

After you’ve filled a single or double-crust pie, seal the edges by pinching or crimping. To pinch, gather the dough along the rim between your thumb, index, and middle finger, making a regular pattern. To crimp, press a fork’s tines along the rim.

Decorative leaves

Make a pretty adornment for a single- or double-crust pie by cutting leaf shapes out of a rolled-out disk of dough. Use a sharp knife or a leaf-shaped cookie cutter; with the dull side of the knife, draw “veins,” indenting no more than halfway through the dough. For a single-crust pie, overlap the leaves along the rim of the pan, using a little water to help them stick. To create a leafy top crust, arrange the leaves in concentric circles over the filling, overlapping as little as possible.

Sugar glaze

Give your double-crust pie a golden glaze by brushing a thin film of cream or milk over the pastry, then sprinkling with a light, even coating of C&H® Pure Cane Granulated Sugar.