Citrus Apple Pie with Lemon and Orange Zest

Begin by preparing the dough. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla sugar. Add the unsalted butter and work it into the mixture with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Next, incorporate the sour cream into the flour mixture and gently knead to form a soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. Zest one orange and one lemon, then extract the pulp from both fruits.

In a food processor, combine the citrus pulp with the zest, sugar, and cornstarch. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Peel and core the apples, then chop them into small pieces. Set the diced apples aside as you prepare the pie crust.

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a pie pan (26-28 cm or 10-11 inches) with butter and dust it with flour to prevent sticking.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Roll out about two-thirds of the dough into a circle and place it into the prepared pie pan, pressing it into the edges to form a crust.

Layer the chopped apples evenly over the crust, then pour the citrus mixture over the apples.

Roll out the remaining dough into a rectangle and cut it into strips. Lay the strips over the filling in a crisscross pattern.

If you like, you can brush the exposed dough with egg yolk for a golden finish, then sprinkle almond slices on top for added crunch.

Bake the pie in the preheated oven. Let it bake for about 40-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the filling comes out clean.

Once baked, remove the pie from the oven and let it cool in the pan before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar if desired before serving.