Cranberry Apple Slab Pie is the answer to the predicament of choosing a dessert to feed a crowd at holiday parties, all the while avoiding being the eleventh person to show up with a normal apple pie. (Not that there’s anything wrong with having eleven apple pies to choose from. First world problems…)
Cranberries add the perfect amount of tartness to make this apple dessert a little bit more exciting than the average apple pie. Just what you need for the holidays. Plus, it's just pretty, right? You could decorate the top of your pie with whatever shape you feel like. I cut out little leaves with a paring knife, but you could easily get more creative than me and have some fun with it. No matter what it looks like though, what matters most is how amazing it tastes, and I can assure you this pie is good. Ridiculously good. And easy. And HUGE. Enough to feed a crowd. If you don't happen to own a half-sheet sized baking pan, you could use two 9x13-inch pans instead. Although I do recommend picking up a nice big baking sheet for only a few dollars at your local restaurant supply store or Sam's Club. They're awesome.
Cranberry Apple Slab Pie
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves about 20 1x
Ingredients
- Pie Crust for 4 single-crust pies. (A double batch of All-Butter Pie Crust is my preference.)
- 3 pounds assorted baking apples, peeled and sliced thin (about 10 apples)
- 2 cups (8-ounces) fresh cranberries, roughly chopped (leave some whole)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into very small cubes
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the pie crust. Divide dough in half. Roll out one half of the dough in a large rectangle large enough to cover the bottom of the baking sheet (use more pie dough as needed). Trim excess dough and crimp the edges of the crust. Chill crust in refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Roll out remaining pie dough and cut out leaves or other desired shape using a cookie cutter or a paring knife. (You could also cut dough into strips and do a lattice crust.)
- Place shaped crust pieces on a separate baking sheet in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, toss together the cranberries, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Set aside.
- Peel and slice apples.
- Arrange sliced apples in even layers on the chilled crust.
- Spread cranberry/sugar mixture evenly over top of the apples. Sprinkle cubes of butter on top of filling.
- Remove crust shapes from refrigerator. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
- Arrange crust shapes evenly around edges and throughout center of pie.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes, then rotate pan and lower the heat to 375 degrees F for 45 more minutes until crust is golden and filling is bubbling. (If crust is browning too quickly, lay a sheet of aluminum foil on top for the remainder of the baking time.)
- Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Susie Huizinga
Mandy--what is a half sheet baking pan? I would sure like to try this recipe!
mandyjoy
It is a 13x19 inch rimmed baking sheet. They call it a "half sheet" because it is half the size of a full sheet cake pan. I use mine for everything. They sell them at Gordon Food Service and Sam's Club. At Sam's you can get a two-pack for $8.99. You could also use two 9x13 pans instead. Hope this helps!