Apple Pie Recipe

• 8 large tart green apples
• 40 grams / 1½ oz of butter
• ½ cup of castor sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cinnamon stick or ½ a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 4 whole cloves or a pinch of ground cloves
• 2 large strips of the rind of ½ a lemon (zest)
• 1 teaspoon of cornflour

• 4 cups of flour
• A good pinch of salt
• 250 grams / 9 oz of butter
• ½ cup of castor sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 to 4 tablespoons of milk

Apple Filling
Peel the apples and cut each apple into quarters. Remove the core and dice each quarter. In a large saucepan melt the butter over a medium low heat, add the apple, sugar, water, lemon rind, cinnamon and cloves and combine. Cover and sweat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the apple is just tender but still retains its shape. Remove from the heat. Discard the lemon rind, cinnamon stick and cloves. Drain most of the excess liquid off and mix in the cornflour. Set aside to cool.

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F or gas mark 4. Grease a large deep pie dish or a round springform tin. Shake two cups of flour into the tin to dust the sides. Pour the flour out into a large bowl or food processor and add the sugar. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour with your hands or process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and mix or process for another 5 to 10 seconds until the mixture comes together, adding the milk if necessary. Turn out the mixture on a lightly floured bench or board and knead until the mixture forms a smooth ball. Handle as little as possible to prevent the pastry from becoming hard when baked. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

On a lightly floured bench or board roll out two-thirds of the pastry, 5 mm (1/8 inch) thick. Place inside the greased and dusted tin to form the base and sides of the pie. Carefully spoon the cooled apple filling into the pieshell. Roll out the remaining pastry into a circle, 5 mm (1/8 inch) thick and large enough to cover the apple and form the lid of the pie. Wrap the lid over a rolling pin and carefully unroll over the top of the pie. Trim off the excess pastry, sealtheedge by crimping the pastry sides using a fork or pinching between your forefinger and thumb. Make small slits or holes in the lid with a small knife for air to escape. With a pastry brush, lightly coat the top with a little extra beaten egg. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Serve hot or cold with ice cream, whipped cream or custard.

To form a lattice top cut 1 cm (½ inch) strips out of the pastry lid. Lay them across the pie, 5 mm (¼ inch) apart. Fold back every second vertical strip and lay a new horizontal strip across the strips that have not been folded. Lay the folded back strips back down. Then repeat folding back the vertical strips that were not folded in the previous round. Cover the rest of the pie.

(Serves 6)