Mini Pies: How to Make a Lattice Top

Baking, Cook, How-To, Learn, Try This at Home
September 21, 2011 | 10 Comments

A lattice top looks extra special on a mini pie. For pies made in an electric pie maker, the traditional technique changes slightly and light and flaky puff pastry dough works best. You’ll need 2 prepared puff pastry sheets.

 

Cut the lattice strips
Lay 2 sheets of thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut one puff pastry sheet into 4 vertical strips, each about 3/4 inch (2 cm) wide.
Create the lattice pattern
Beginning at about the center of the puff pastry sheet, set two strips vertically on top of the pastry sheet, spacing them about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Next, fold back the vertical strip closest to the left and place a horizontal strip beneath it. Fold the strip back down and then place the rest of the horizontal strip over the top part of the next vertical strip. Repeat with a second horizontal strip but reverse the direction. Repeat the process to cover the entire sheet with lattice strips using the remaining strips.
Cut the lattice top
Place the smaller side of the pastry cutter over the top of the lattice pattern and puff pastry sheet and cut out one small round of dough. Cut out the remaining lattice tops and set aside.
Transfer the lattice top
Using a wide flat spatula, carefully transfer the lattice-covered dough cutout to the top of a filled crust in the preheated electric pie maker. Working quickly, repeat steps 3 and 4 to cover the remaining filled crusts. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to bake the pies.

 

Dough Tips & Tricks

 

Working with dough can be challenging. Here are a few tips to help you along:

 

Puff pastry dough can be sticky. To make it easier to roll, place it between two sheets of wax paper.

• Sprinkling a little flour over the dough will make molding a crust in the electric pie maker easier.

• To get smooth edges on your pie bases and tops, press straight down with the pastry cutter.

• Dough can be precut ahead of time, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored in the freezer.

• Use frozen dough as soon as it has thawed. If it sits out too long, it will be difficult to work with.

 

Find more delicious single-serving pie recipes in the Mini Pies cookbook!

10 comments about “Mini Pies: How to Make a Lattice Top”

  1. Kitty Zahradnik

    Can I use the William Sonoma ready made pie filling in the Breville mini pie maker? If so, do I need to do anything with the filling before I put into the machine? Also can I make the pies a day before I am going to eat them?

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  2. Olivia Ware

    Hi Kitty, no need to do anything with the prepared pie filling. And yes, you can make pies the day before, but quality decreases. The crust won’t be as crisp/dry the second day as on the day made (it gets soggy as it absorbs the excess moisture of the filling). Hope you enjoy!

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  3. Shakti

    Will homemade pie dough work or does store-bought yield better results? If homemade is OK, any tips about type of dough – will shortening be easier to work with than a butter crust, etc or does it matter as long as it’s cold? What happens if you use pie dough instead of puff pastry on the top?

    How long does it need to preheat? Do you need to spray the nonstick interior first?

    We are seriously considering adding this to our kitchen but need to make sure it earns its place. Thanks.

    Reply ↓

  4. Mixed Berry Pie « Be Kind Food

  5. pilar

    So wonderful easy to prepare quick breakfast or dessert, thank you to make easy mom’s job :)

    Reply ↓
  8. Trish

    I have a mini pie maker, and this has been one of the best things I have added to my cookware. I use my own pie recipe and several from books. I have ordered the book from here, so will see what I can add to the recipes. I have made shepherds pie {crust base, meat filling, and mash potatoes top, and it worked perfect in the mini pie maker. {Was so surprised, it was really good}. I’ve done both deserts and savories, and for the most part they turned out great.
    Don’t add to much water to your pie crust if you want it to be flaky. No cooking spray, and clean after it cools down a bit, don’t leave it to let anything build up. I love mine!

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  9. Jennifer Doss

    Can I use the Williams Sonoma Breville Mini pie maker for Derby Pies? The filling is not precooked, does that matter?

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  10. Williams-Sonoma

    Hi Jennifer, I would be concerned that the filling might not fully set in the pie maker as you really only need to cook mini pies for 10 minutes or the crust will burn. It depends greatly on the liquid content (and dairy, egg, and thickener content) of your filling. I’d suggest experimenting, and of course you can always refer to the pie maker manual on brevilleusa.com for notes on cook time. Good luck!

    Reply ↓

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