Celebrate the Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom with this rustic recipe for homemade pie! In the heart of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, the Tree of Life serves as a symbol of nature’s beauty and diversity. With a few simple ingredients, you can create your very own Tree of Life to admire at home! Carved with intricate crust details, this pie will make a stunning centerpiece at your family’s table. Adorn the trunk with a surprise critter and this pie’s sure to be a big hoot!
Tree of Life Pie Inspired by Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Disney+
Ingredients
- Dough for double crust pie
- Bench flour
- 3 cups fruit pie filling, prepared
- Dough for single crust pie, for tree and animal decorations
- Green and brown gel food coloring
- 1-2 tsp clear alcohol, for diluting the food coloring
- Rolling pin
- 9-inch pie plate
- Precision knife
- Foil or pie crust shield, optional
- Toothpicks
- Mini round cutter
- Small food brushes
Helpful Tip
Notes: This Tree of Life pie dough cut-out is baked on top of a double crust pie, but it can also be baked off separately and placed on top of a filled single crust pie, like a pumpkin pie!
Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents. Please supervise children who are helping or nearby.
Directions
-
Roll the top and bottom halves of dough to a thickness of ⅛ of an inch. If needed, use bench flour.
-
Fit the bottom crust into a pie plate. Leave a ½-inch overhang of dough, and cut off any extra with kitchen scissors.
-
Prick the bottom crust with a fork to keep it from puffing up during baking. Fill the bottom crust with the pie filling.
-
Top the filling with the rolled top crust. Trim the edges of the top crust, leaving a ½-inch overhang of dough. Tuck the edges under and flute the edges. Use the tips of a small fork to create decorative lines on the inner side of the fluted edge.
-
Roll out the dough for a single crust to a thickness of ⅛ of an inch, then use a precision knife to cut out the silhouette of the Tree of Life. You can do this freeform, or by printing an image and using it as a template. You will want the tree to be approximately 6-7 inches to fit in the middle of the pie.
-
Collect the scraps and save for Step 8. Use the precision knife and a sharp knife to impress lines on the trunk of the tree.
-
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Place the tree cut-out on top of the pie. Bake the pie at 425˚F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400˚F and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown. If the edges start to get too brown during baking, cover it with a strip of foil or a pie crust shield.
-
Re-roll the scraps from the single crust to create leaves and any critters. Here, I’ve chosen to cut out the shape of an owl using a precision knife. Use a toothpick to impress the critter’s eyes and features. Create leaves using a mini round cutter, then use a precision knife to impress veins in the leaves. Bake at 375˚F for 5-8 minutes until the pieces are just baked.
-
In two small bowls, dilute the green and brown food colorings with a small amount of alcohol to thin them out. Use small food brushes to apply the color to the baked leaves and critter.
-
After the pie has cooled completely, paint the canopy green and the trunk brown.
-
Attach the pie crust leaves to the canopy and critter to the trunk using small dabs of honey. Apply each dab with the tip of a toothpick.
-
Enjoy!
