Quilt Recipe

Make the dough

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse peas with some larger butter bits remaining (about 6–8 short pulses if using a food processor).

Mix ice water and apple cider vinegar; drizzle 4 tablespoons into the flour-butter mixture and gently fold with a fork until dough just comes together. If dough is still dry, add remaining 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Do not overwork; you should still see butter flecks.

Divide dough into two discs (one slightly larger for bottom, about 60/40), wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour (up to 2 days) or freeze 15–20 minutes if short on time. Chilling firms butter and prevents shrinking.

Prepare fruit

Place sliced pears, peaches, grapes, and apple in a large bowl. Toss immediately with lemon juice and lemon zest to prevent browning.

In a small bowl whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle over fruit and toss gently to coat. Add the optional dry white wine and toss once more so fruit is evenly glazed.

Let fruit macerate for 15–20 minutes so sugars draw juices. The cornstarch will begin to absorb juices, creating a thickened filling when baked.

Assemble pie (Quilt)

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). On a lightly floured surface roll out the larger dough disc to a 12-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, allowing 1-inch overhang. Spoon the fruit filling into the crust, pressing down gently to nestle fruit; dot the top with the small pats of butter.

Roll out the smaller dough disc into a 10-inch circle. To create a quilt-like lattice: cut 10–12 strips about 3/8–1/2 inch wide. Lay 5 strips horizontally across the filling, spaced evenly. Weave the remaining strips vertically over and under the horizontals to form a tight lattice resembling a quilt pattern. Trim ends to the edge of the pan and fold the top and bottom crust edges together, crimping decoratively with fingers or a fork. Tuck any overhang under for a neat rim.

Whisk together beaten egg and milk to make egg wash. Brush entire top crust gently with egg wash, being careful to avoid excess pooling in lattice gaps. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over the top for sparkle and crunch.

Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake an additional 30–40 minutes, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling. If edges brown too quickly, shield with foil after 25 minutes.

Remove pie from oven and let cool on a wire rack at least 2 hours so the filling sets (important for clean slices). Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, ideally with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraîche to complement the Napa-inspired fruit flavors.