Golden Apple Pie with Rum Sauce

Seven Golden Delicious apples sliced into a brown sugar filling, splashed with rum, and tucked into a lattice-topped pie shell. This isn’t your standard double-crust apple pie. The rum and chopped nuts give it a boozy, almost frangipane edge that the matching rum sauce on the side amplifies into something genuinely festive.

Golden Delicious are the right apple here. They hold their shape better than McIntosh under a long bake, but soften enough to release their honey-like sweetness without going to mush. The tablespoons of flour thicken the juices into a glossy filling that won’t run when you slice.

The lattice top is more than decoration. The open weave lets steam escape so the apples roast slightly instead of just steaming, deepening the flavor and concentrating the filling. A foil tent halfway through the bake protects the crust from over-browning while the apples finish cooking through.

Pro Tips

• Use a generous flute on the pastry edge. Lattice tops can crack at the rim, and a tall fluted edge gives the strips something solid to rest against.
• Cut the lattice strips evenly with a ruler if you want a clean crosshatch. Uneven strips look rustic but bake unevenly.
• The foil tent goes on around the 30-minute mark when the crust starts to color. Leave it in place until the final 10 minutes.
• Cool the pie at least 30 minutes before slicing. Hot apple filling runs everywhere; rested filling holds clean wedges.

Variations

• Swap dark rum for bourbon or applejack for a different boozy character.
• Use chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts depending on what’s in the pantry.
• Stir ¼ cup of dried cranberries or raisins into the apple filling for extra fruit and chew.