Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie -- The Lattice She Learned by Hand

Late May and the channel is approaching 80,000 subscribers. The TV segment sent a wave and the wave is still moving, slowly flattening but not gone. I've been getting more collaboration inquiries — other YouTubers wanting to cross-promote, brands wanting to send products, a kitchen appliance company that wanted to discuss a "partnership." I've been saying no to most of it. The channel feels genuine right now and I'm protective of that.

I talked to Gary about it and he agreed — don't compromise what works for short-term money. His pragmatism is one of his most attractive qualities. He understands that some things have value precisely because they haven't been monetized.

The Friday walks have become entirely reliable now. We've walked in rain and cold and mild evenings and I've started looking forward to them in a way I didn't expect — not just for us, but for me. The forty-five minutes outside, moving, talking or not talking, has become something I protect in the schedule the same way I protect the workshops. Some things you don't reschedule.

I made strawberry rhubarb pie this week with the first rhubarb from the garden. It's my annual May ritual — the combination of sweet and tart, the lattice crust, the smell of it baking that means summer is genuinely arriving. Olivia asked to help with the crust. She's been watching my videos more, which I didn't realize until she said, "I want to learn the lattice the way you do it in the video." So we made it together, her hands learning the fold and weave, and the pie was beautiful in the way that shared things are beautiful.

We didn’t make the cinnamon roll apple pie that Friday — it was strawberry rhubarb season and that ritual belongs to May — but when Olivia asked to learn the lattice, I knew this would be the next one we made together. The cinnamon roll crust is forgiving and interesting and gives small hands something to work with, and there’s something about the warm spice of it that feels like the natural next chapter after a pie made from the first garden rhubarb. This is the recipe I’ve been saving for when she was ready to go further, and she’s ready.

Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Prep Time: 35 minutes | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 6–8 tablespoons ice water
• 2 tablespoons softened butter (for cinnamon roll layer)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 6 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (for topping)

Instructions

1. Make the crust. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together. Divide into two discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Build the cinnamon roll layer. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough into a 12-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the surface, then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Roll the dough up tightly into a log, then slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Press rounds together on a floured surface and re-roll gently into a 12-inch circle to form your bottom crust. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish and trim the edges.
3. Make the apple filling. Toss sliced apples with 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice until evenly coated. Pour filling into the prepared crust.
4. Create the lattice top. Roll the second dough disc into a 12-inch circle and cut into 3/4-inch strips. Weave strips over the filling in a lattice pattern, pressing the ends to the bottom crust edge to seal. Fold the overhang under and crimp decoratively.
5. Finish and bake. Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush the lattice with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 40–45 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling is bubbling. If the edges brown too quickly, cover them loosely with foil.
6. Cool before slicing. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing to allow the filling to set properly.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 480 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 65g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 310mg