Apple-Cranberry Slab Pie (Inspired by Charm)

I’m always game for another beautiful and delicious fall dessert. Throw in a small hack to make it easier to put together, and I’m all over it. This Apple-Cranberry Slab Pie give you all of those things, and I’m going to show you how to make it.

I’m thrilled to be joining 20 bloggers for a new holiday recipe series called “Tastes of the Season.” Each month, from now through December, we’ll be sharing recipes inspired by the season. This month it’s apple-inspired recipes. I’ll share my recipe with you; then, at the bottom of this post you can check out the full collection by the incredibly talented folks I’m teaming up with. If you need an apple recipe for fall, look no further.

After my A Year of Pie series a few years back, I’m pretty comfortable with pie making. However, I know for some folks, crafting a beautiful pie with a homemade crust can seem like a daunting task. I think it’s the crust that most people struggle with. Making the perfect pie dough has a lot to do with knowing how the dough should feel. Once you’ve gotten that down, the recipe is a piece of cake … well, piece of pie.

Today, however, I’m freeing you from any worries about pie dough because this Apple-Cranberry Slab Pie is made from frozen puff pastry dough. That’s the simple hack that makes this recipe a breeze.

While I usually recommend homemade dough, I find that frozen puff pastry works wonderfully. It gives this slab pie a pastry-like quality. And no one will guess you used frozen dough. I promise!

Once thawed, the puff pastry is rolled out to accommodate a generous filling of apples, dried cranberries, cinnamon, and sugar.

Another piece of puff pastry goes on top to seal in all that goodness.

After a trip to the oven, this fruit-filled slab pie is nothing short of perfection. Well, almost…Typically, I like my fruit pies topped with a generous scoop of ice cream. However, in this case I’ve opted for a buttery sugar glaze that makes ice cream irrelevant.

When the pie has cooled, drizzle on the glaze. Give it a moment to set, then slice and serve. Now it’s perfect.

The flaky layers of the puff pastry make this dessert a treat to remember and a recipe your friends and family with be asking for. In-season apples combined with tart cranberries celebrate the flavors of the season. It’s good stuff, my friends, and it doesn’t get much easier.

Apple-Cranberry Slab Pie

Serves 16

Here's what you will need:
2 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 7 cups) I used a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.
1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 17.3 ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
About 3 tablespoons milk
Coarse sugar (for sprinkling on the top crust)

2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 - 5 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 15x10-inch baking sheet. In a large bowl, stir together the sliced apples, cranberries, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, unfold one pastry sheet. Roll the pastry into a 16x11-inch rectangle. Transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Spread filling over the pastry to within an inch of the edges. Evenly dot the filling with cubed butter.

Unfold the second pastry sheet; roll into a 15X10 rectangle. Place this pastry on top of the filling. Brush the edge of the bottom pastry with milk. Fold the bottom pastry over the top and gently press the edges together with a fork to seal.

Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the top pastry. Brush lightly with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the pastry is puffed and golden. If needed, to prevent overbrowning, cover the pie loosely with foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

While the slab pie cools, prepare the butter icing. In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir in enough milk to reach a drizzling consistency.

Drizzle the icing over the pastry once it's cooled. Slice and serve.

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I kid you not. This is so easy and crazy delicious.

Once you give this recipe a try, experiment with other pie fillings for a virtually endless variety of super-simple slab pies. Just know that I take zero responsibly for any pie-related weight gain. – However, winter is coming, so a little extra warmth probably won’t hurt any of us.

Like this recipe? Then be sure to check out the full “Tastes of the Season” apple-inspired recipe collection below.