This Delightfully Colorful Autumn Leaves Crusted Apple Pie may look like it's difficult to make, but with my easy tips and tricks, you too can make this adorable (and delicious) apple pie!
Place the sliced apples, lemon juice, ¾ cup sugar, brown sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl and toss to coat the apples evenly in the mixture.
Pile the sugar-coated apples in the deep dish pie shell and dot the top with butter. Set aside.
Unroll a flat, round pie dough (found in the refrigerated section) press out any broken areas (if needed).
Use the cookie cutter to cut 8 leaves into the round pie dough. Remove the scraps, leaving only the leaves. *Note - if desired place the scraps on a separate baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 until crispy.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, water, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until blended.
Divide the egg wash into 5 separate small dishes (or paper cups), and add a few drops of each gel color to each dish. Mix each color thoroughly with a fork.
Use a paring knife to gently score the veins on each leaf.
Liberally paint the leaves with the gel egg wash (starting with yellow) and adding color as you like to each leaf. *Note the colors will intensify slightly during the baking process.
Place the leaves in random fashion over the apples in the pie plate and sprinkle the leaves with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the pie juices are flowing.
Remove and cool on a baking rack.
Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tools and equipment:1 - 3" maple leaf cookie cutter, 1 baking sheet, gel food coloring (yellow, red, orange, green, and brown), paring knife, 5 small dishes or 5 paper cups, fork (for mixing egg wash and food color), clean paintbrush, large bowl (for tossing the apples and sugar mixture)The nutritional information and calorie count provided is intended as a guideline only and has been provided by third-party software.