Cookie Sheet Apple Pie -- The Lattice She Learned, the Summer She Left

June 2025. Olivia finishes her junior year with a 3.9 GPA and a thesis outline that her advisor called "one of the most promising pieces of applied food policy research I've seen from an undergraduate." She called to tell me and her voice was trying to stay calm and not quite succeeding. I said, "Olivia. That's extraordinary." She said, "I worked really hard." I said, "I know you did. It shows." She said, "Mom, can I talk to you about something?" I said of course. She said, "I think I want to apply for a fellowship after graduation. A food policy fellowship in D.C. It would be two years." I said, "Tell me about it." She told me about it. I listened and asked questions and didn't once say what I was feeling, which was: you are becoming something I couldn't have designed and I am so proud it frightens me.

Strawberry rhubarb pie. The June ritual, the first rhubarb. I make it alone now that Olivia's not always home. I make it the same way she learned to make it with me, the lattice that she mastered, and I think about her hands in the dough and her gone to D.C. and coming back changed and better. That's what you want. You want them to go out into the world and come back larger than they left.

The pie was good. The summer is starting. The third book proposal is drafted and going to Susan next week.

The strawberry rhubarb was the June pie, the one Olivia learned on — but when I thought about what to share here, I kept coming back to the cookie sheet apple pie we’d made so many times on the back end of summer, the one that stretches to feed a table full of people and still feels like home. A cookie sheet pie is generous by design: more filling, more crust, more of everything — and that feels exactly right for a season when your daughter calls you with news that takes your breath away. If you’re baking alone this summer, bake something big. Fill the pan. Leave room for the version of her that comes back.

Cookie Sheet Apple Pie

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup cold milk
• 8 to 10 medium apples (about 10 cups), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar, for topping

Instructions

1. Make the dough. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat eggs with milk and stir into the flour mixture until a soft dough comes together. Divide into two portions, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Prepare the filling. Toss sliced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Set aside while the dough chills.
3. Preheat and roll. Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger dough portion into a rectangle slightly larger than a 10x15-inch rimmed baking sheet (jelly roll pan). Gently transfer to the pan, pressing it into the corners and up the sides.
4. Add the filling. Spread the apple filling evenly over the bottom crust, leaving no gaps.
5. Top the pie. Roll out the remaining dough into a rectangle the same size as the pan. You can lay it flat and cut vents, or cut it into 1-inch strips and weave a lattice over the top. Crimp or press the edges to seal.
6. Finish and bake. Brush the top crust evenly with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges. If the edges brown too quickly, cover them loosely with foil.
7. Cool before slicing. Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 320 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 51g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 160mg