Apple Pie

Nothing beats a nice big slice of freshly baked, warm apple pie for dessert on a cold winters night, and lately here in Dunedin, NZ it has been FREEZING! Needless to say, this was the perfect way to end a meal on a cold, snowy evening.

If you have been following me here for a while you will probably recognize this recipe from right back at the start of this year, again this was a recipe that, looking back, I wasn't completely happy with the old photographs so out came the recipe and new camera again! I hope I have now given this lovely pie the loveliness it deserves.

Apple Pie

Serves 8 - 10

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry:

2 1/4 Cup plain flour
225 g butter, chopped
1/2 Cup caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs (1 whole + 1 yolk)

Pie Filling:

7 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1/4 Cup white sugar
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Make the pastry by mixing the butter with the sugar until just combined. Mix in the flour followed by the egg and egg yolk. Keep the extra egg white aside for glazing the top of the pie before baking. Combine the mixture together into a dough using your hands. Shape into a ball, wrap with cling film and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

2. Roll 2/3 of the pastry out on a flat, lightly floured surface and press into a greased pie dish. Blind bake at 200C (400F) for about 10 minutes.

3. Place all the filling ingredients into a bowl and combine well. Pour into the pie case. Roll out the remaining 1/3 of the pastry for the pie top. Arrange top piece of pastry over top, use a fork to pierce a couple of holes in the top, glaze with the egg white mixed with a dash of milk, and bake at 180°C for 45 minutes.

4. Serve warm with cream, ice cream, or custard. 

Tip: If the pastry is too hard to work with when rolling out, put it in the fridge for a while to firm up a bit and it will make it easier to roll out