Slab Pies are one of my favorite ways to consume pie for a long list of reasons, the main one being that the thinner slices makes it so I can just scoop it up and eat it with my hands like it’s a single frito. The more widely acceptable reason is that I think they’re easier to decorate and have a bigger impact on a table. Since Halloween is quickly approaching we all need to figure out the dessert table now so it’s not the last minute batch of those cliché witch fingers. Slab pie decorating screams, “make me a mummy,” so here we are, running with the monster theme/possible plastic surgery gone wrong/whatever your imagination wants to go with, and filling it with a spiced apple berry mix that says, “hiiiiii holidays.”

Chai Masala Apple Berry Slab Pie
Makes 1 9×13″ Slab Pie, Easily enough for 8, probably 10 people

2 boxes of double crust pie crust (the stuff that’s rolled up, not already in the pan) or a triple batch of a homemade single pie crust
2 1/2 – 3 lbs apples, 6 or 7 baseball sized ones, (I like honeycrisp or braeburn)
1 cup of whatever fresh or frozen berries you want, I used a mix of raspberries and blueberries
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 egg, for the egg wash

Start by laying the foundation of the pie. Take out the pie crust from the packaging, making sure it’s thawed properly, and slice 2 rounds in half. Lay them in a 9×13″ sheet pan so the flat edges run along the sides of the pan, leaving about a half an inch hanging over the edge of the pan. Use your fingers to press the seams together and close the gaps, just like the picture above. If you’re going the homemade route split the mass of dough in half and roll it out so it fits in the pan with a half inch overhang.

Set the pan aside and prepare the filling. Peel, core and chop the apples then toss them with the berries, sugar, cornstarch, and spices. Leave them in the bowl until you’re done slicing up the top so it’s not just sitting on the dough.

Take the rest of the pie dough and unroll it and slice it in 1-1 1/2 inch strips. The cool thing with mummies is that they don’t take super good care of their wrapping, so we can just throw caution to the wind with the strip sizes. Save about a third of one of the pie crusts to cut out the eyes.

Add the filling to the pan and spread out evenly. Start from the bottom and work your way up about two-thirds of the pan with the strips. Leave about a 2 inch gap then finish up the wrapping to the top of the pan. Don’t worry if something hangs over or looks a little messy, we’re trimming it all up at the end.

Use the reserved pie dough to make whatever eyes/expression you want, I used some piping tips to cut out the circles, then cut some pieces off the top to let the world know how upset this guy is that you just covered him in egg and threw him in the oven.

Once the whole thing’s assembled, trim excess dough around the edge of the pan and use your fingers to crimp the top crust with the bottom. Put the pie in the freezer while the oven preheats to 375ºF (this helps everything stay in place a little better) then when the oven’s preheated, beat the egg with a teaspoon of water and brush a light coating over the top. If you want your mummy to be a little extra you can sprinkle some sugar over the egg wash.

Place on a larger baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly. Number one key to telling if a fruit pie is done is whether the filling is bubbly to make sure the cornstarch has been activated and the filling has thickened.

Let the pie cool to room temp before slicing. If waiting for a few hours just cover it with foil and refrigerate.