I was sitting at a lunch table outside, waiting for the bell to announce the start of the school day. In San Diego, days often start overcast and eventually give way to scorching temperatures as the marine layer dissipates. I was clad in the standard Southern Californian uniform of shorts and a tank top and was feeling the morning chill. I pulled a blue sweatshirt out of my backpack, drew my knees up, stretched the cotton taut over my legs, and then tucked my arms in, too. Some kids ran by, jostling the table, and I felt myself teetering from the impact. The sweatshirt was too tight for my limbs to beat a hasty retreat, and soon I was plummeting to the concrete, face first.
This almond-scented apricot and honey pairing is face-smashingly good, minus the blood, purple lip, and elementary school trauma. Skip the teal cocoon and keep warm with this pie instead.
2 disks Cornflower Pie Dough
HONEY ALMOND APRICOT FILLING
3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) ripe apricots, unpeeled, pitted and cut into ½-inch slices (about 25 apricots)
½ cup (170 grams) honey
½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (38 grams) tapioca starch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
EGG WASH AND SUGAR SPRINKLE
Demerara sugar (optional)
PLAID LATTICE DESIGN NEEDS
Parchment paper
Ruler
Rolling pastry wheel
Paring knife
1. Roll 1 dough disk into an 11 × 15-inch rectangle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it onto a sheet of parchment paper. Using a ruler as a straight edge and a rolling pastry wheel, cut the rectangle crosswise into a variety of strips ranging in width from ¼ inch to 2 inches. Slide a flat baking sheet under the parchment and place the dough in the refrigerator to keep cold while proceeding with the pie.
2. Roll the second disk of dough into a 14-inch circle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it over a 9-inch pie pan. Taking the edges of the dough, gently ease the dough into the pan, nestling it into the inner elbows of the pie pan. Trim the excess dough with kitchen shears to create a 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang back under, creating an elevated edge.
3. To prepare the honey almond apricot filling, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and gently fold to coat the fruit. Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell.
4. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Lay strips of varying width ⅛ inch apart diagonally across the surface of the pie.
5. Starting from the left, fold every other strip of dough back halfway. Lay a strip of dough at a perpendicular diagonal and unfold all the strips.
6. Fold back the previously unfolded strips and lay another cornflower strip. Unfold all the strips. Continue this process to complete a fully woven surface.
7. Use kitchen shears to trim the top and bottom doughs to leave a 1-inch overhang around the edge. Press to seal the strips into the bottom pie shell, and then roll the edges in. Crimp the pie all the way around.
8. Chill the entire pie in the freezer until the oven has come to temperature. The pie can be frozen solid before baking or simply chilled through, about 20 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and prepare the egg wash.
10. When the oven has come to temperature, place the chilled pie on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the dough strips with egg wash and sprinkle with demerara sugar, if desired.
11. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pie 180 degrees and lower the oven temperature to 400°F. If the edges are already brown, cover with a shield. If the top begins to brown excessively, rest a sheet of foil lightly on top. Continue baking until the filling is bubbling in the center, checking every 30 minutes to rotate the pie and adjust the shields as necessary, 80 to 100 total minutes. (If baking from frozen, add 30 to 45 minutes to the bake time.)
12. Cool the pie completely on a rack before slicing and serving.
SUGGESTED SUBSTITUTIONS
Dough alternatives: Basic, Beet, Black Sesame, Blueberry, Butterfly Pea Flower, Dragon Fruit