Harrods-Style Deep Dish Apple Pie
Deep Dish Apple Pie in an Italian Shortcrust Pastry
Bring the Harrods food hall home with this deep-dish apple pie, built on a buttery almond crust and packed with apples cooked two ways for maximum flavor and texture. Finished with a glossy, golden lattice, it’s a showpiece dessert that always draws a crowd.
A simple cookie-crumb base keeps the crust crisp, even with all that fruit, so the pie slices cleanly once it is fully cold. It is an unapologetically rich, special-occasion dessert that looks like it came from a London food hall but is built for a home kitchen.
Watch my video to follow along step-by-step.
Equipment
Deep 9½-inch (24 cm) fluted tart pan
Food processor with metal blade
Digital scale (recommended)
Peeler, paring knife, chef’s knife
Large cutting board
Heavy-bottomed saucepan
Wide sauté pan
Mixing bowls
Rolling pin
Baking tray (to sit the tart pan on in the oven)
Cooling rack
Pastry brush
Ingredients
Pasta Frolla (Almond Shortcrust)
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
1½ cups (185 g) powdered sugar
¾ cup (70 g) almond flour (finely ground almonds)
¾ teaspoon (4 g) fine salt
9 ounces (250 g) unsalted butter, cool and cut into chunks
2 large eggs, lightly beaten (about 3¾ ounces / 105 g without shells)
Apple Base (Compote for Thickened Apple Layer)
All apples peeled, cored, halved, then thinly sliced.
1 lb 2 oz (500 g) Pink Lady apples
1 lb 2 oz (500 g) Granny Smith apples
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (225 g) raw cane sugar (demerara or light brown)
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped (seeds and pods)
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
To Thicken the Base
¼ cup + 1 teaspoon (36 g) cornstarch
Sliced Apple Component (Texture)
Again, all apples peeled, cored, halved, then thinly sliced.
1 lb 2 oz (500 g) Pink Lady apples
1 lb 2 oz (500 g) Granny Smith apples
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (about 115 g) raw cane sugar
Zest of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 tablespoon (8 g) ground cinnamon
3½ tablespoons (50 g) unsalted butter
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
Cookie Crumb Barrier
⅔–¾ cup (60–75 g) finely crushed plain cookies
(digestive-style cookies or other plain, lightly sweet cookies)
Finish
1 egg, beaten (for lattice egg wash only)
1–2 tablespoons (15–30 g) demerara sugar, for sprinkling
Method
1. Make the Almond Shortcrust
Add flour, powdered sugar, almond flour, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
Add the butter pieces. Pulse until the mixture looks like fine, even crumbs.
Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, then pour them into the processor. Pulse in short bursts until the mixture just starts to clump together. Do not let it spin into a ball.
Tip the dough onto the counter and bring it together with your hands in one or two presses. Do not knead.
Shape into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill for at least 2 hours (overnight is better).
2. Cook the Apple Base (Compote)
Peel, core, halve, and thinly slice the first 1 kg of apples (Pink Lady + Granny Smith for the base).
Put the sliced apples into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon zest, salt, and the vanilla seeds and pods. Toss to coat.
If you have time, let the apples sit for 20–30 minutes to draw out some juice.
Set the pan over medium heat with the lid on. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften and release plenty of liquid.
Remove the lid. Continue to cook at a steady simmer, stirring often, until the apples have mostly broken down and you have a thick, glossy compote with very little free liquid.
Stir in the lemon juice. Let it bubble for about 1 minute. If the compote loosens too much, cook a little longer until thick again.
Remove the vanilla pods. Weigh out 14 ounces (400 g) of the compote for the thickened base. Set aside any extra for another use.
3. Make the Thickened Apple Base
Transfer the 400 g of compote to a jug or bowl and blend until completely smooth (using a blender or stick blender).
Whisk the cornstarch into a small portion of the purée to make a smooth slurry, then whisk this back into the rest of the purée.
Return the mixture to a clean saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and just begins to bubble.
Once bubbling, continue to cook for 2–3 minutes to fully activate the starch. The texture should be like a very thick, smooth custard.
Spread the thickened apple base into a shallow dish. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and cool to room temperature, then chill until firm but spreadable.
4. Cook the Sliced Apples (Texture Component)
Peel, core, halve, and thinly slice the second 1 kg of apples (Pink Lady + Granny Smith for the sliced component).
Place the sliced apples in a bowl. Add sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, salt, and the vanilla seeds and pod. Toss well to coat.
Melt the butter in a wide sauté pan over medium heat.
Add the apple mixture. Cook, stirring gently, until the slices are tender but still hold their shape and the juices have reduced to a syrup that coats the apples rather than pooling in the pan.
Add the lemon juice near the end of cooking, let it bubble for about 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
Remove the vanilla pod. Spread the apples in a single layer on a tray or shallow pan and let them cool completely.
5. Line the Tart Pan and Add the Crumb Layer
Lightly butter the deep 9½-inch (24 cm) fluted tart pan if it is not non-stick.
Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge. Cut off about two-thirds for the base, reserving one-third for the lattice.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger portion of dough to about ⅛–⅙ inch (3–4 mm) thick.
Line the tart pan with the rolled pastry, pressing it gently into the flutes and corners. Trim the edge cleanly and patch any cracks with scraps.
Chill the lined tart pan for 20–30 minutes until the pastry is firm.
Sprinkle the crushed cookie crumbs evenly over the base of the raw pastry shell.
(There is no egg wash on the pastry case.)
6. Combine the Filling
Scrape the chilled thickened apple base into a large mixing bowl. Stir firmly to loosen it into a smooth, thick mass.
Add the cooled sliced apples in two or three additions, folding gently with a spatula or your hand.
Add only as much of the syrup from the tray as needed for a glossy, heavy mixture that mounds rather than pours. The apple slices should remain clearly visible and well coated.
7. Fill the Tart and Add the Lattice
Spoon the apple mixture into the crumb-lined pastry shell. Level it out, letting it rise to just below the rim with a gentle dome in the center.
Roll out the remaining pastry to ⅛–⅙ inch (3–4 mm) thick. Cut even strips for a lattice using a knife or pastry wheel.
Arrange the strips in a criss-cross lattice over the filling. Press to seal at the edges and trim neatly.
Brush the lattice and the exposed rim with beaten egg (first egg wash).
Chill the tart for 10–15 minutes so the lattice firms up and the egg wash sets.
Brush the lattice and rim again with beaten egg (second egg wash), then sprinkle generously with demerara sugar.
8. Bake
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Place the tart pan on a lined baking tray to catch any drips.
Bake for 50–65 minutes, until:
the pastry is a deep golden brown,
the sugared lattice is crisp, and
the filling is visibly bubbling through the gaps in the lattice.
If the top or rim darkens too quickly, tent loosely with foil and continue baking until the filling is fully hot and active.
9. Cool and Serve
Remove the tart from the oven and cool it in the pan on a rack for at least 2–3 hours, preferably until completely cold. Cutting too warm will cause the filling to slump.
Once cold and set, carefully remove the tart from the pan.
Slice with a thin, sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for clean wedges.
Serve at room temperature or gently warmed, plain or with lightly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
💡 Larder Notes
Why two kinds of apples
Pink Lady brings perfume and sweetness; Granny Smith brings acidity and structure. Using both means the filling tastes bright instead of flat and does not collapse into a bland mush. If you cannot find Pink Lady, use another firm, sweet apple and keep the Granny Smith for backbone.Why cook the apples two ways
Part of the fruit is cooked down into a thick, smooth base. The rest is kept in tender slices. The base holds everything together and gives you that luxurious texture, while the slices stop the filling from eating like baby food. If the base is not cooked long enough, or if you add too much syrup from the pan, the pie will taste fine but will not slice cleanly.The cookie crumb “insurance policy”
The layer of finely crushed cookies under the filling is not decorative. It catches any extra juice that cooks out of the apples and protects the bottom crust from turning soggy. Use a plain, not heavily flavoured cookie, so the crumbs disappear into the background.Deep dish means patience
This pie is high-sided and generously filled. It needs time in the oven for the centre to come up to temperature and time on the counter afterwards to set. Treat it like cheesecake: bake it fully, then cool it completely before you try to take a hero slice. Cutting while it is even slightly warm will give you a soft, slumping wedge.Chilling and reheating
For the neatest slices, chill the baked pie once it has cooled to room temperature and cut it cold. Individual slices can then be warmed gently in a low oven. The flavour improves on day two, once the spices and vanilla have settled.Harrods at home
The original inspiration for this recipe comes from the apple pie sold in the Harrods food hall in London. The version here keeps the spirit of that tart — rich almond crust, high profile, glossy finish — but is written for a home kitchen with supermarket ingredients and standard equipment. No plane ticket required.
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