It’s baking weather…well, it’s always baking weather and this Apple Pie is one of the first things I made on my own, away from my Dad’s (who cooked for Princess Anne a long time ago) watchful eye…and from scratch when I first moved out with Mic when we were 19…it was a huge hit and still stands true now. It’s a lot easier than I remembered back then

Ness’ Apple Pie

Pastry- 3 cups of plain flour                                                                                 Filling- 1kg Granny Smith Apples

               - 1/4 teaspoon salt                                                                                                  - 1/2 cup of caster sugar

              – 250g cold unsalted butter in chunks                                                             – 1 1/2 tablespoons plain flour

              – 1/2 cup of iced water                                                                                           – 1 teaspoon cinnamon

                                                                                                                                                        – 1 teaspoon vanilla

                                                                                                                                                        – 1/2 cup sultanas

Crumble- 1/3 Cup plain flour

                  – 1/3 cup brown sugar

                  – 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts (opt.)

                 - 45g cold butter, in little pieces

For Pastry- mix flour, salt and butter in a food processor until you get coarse crumbs. With processor still going, slowly add water until mixture forms a ball around the edge. Divide into 2 balls, one slightly smaller than the other, flatten out a little and wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for about 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 220C. Peel and core apples and slice. Toss into filling ingredients.

Mix the crumble ingredients together with your fingers to form small clumps. Set aside.

Roll out the bigger piece of pastry into a large circle. Line a greased pie dish, trim sides leaving a slight over hang. Roll out other piece to form the lid.

Add apple mixture to pie dish, sprinkle crumble over the top. brush edge with egg wash. Cover with pastry lid, press edges to seal, trim and crimp edges. Cut small slits into pie lid for steam to escape and arrange some pastry leaves on top. Brush lid with egg wash and sprinkle with a little caster sugar.

Bake on bottom shelf for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 180C and cook for 50 minutes or until a deep golden colour. Remove and stand for 30 mins…if you can! Serve with either good vanilla bean ice cream, custard or cream.

Hope you will try this. It’s a winner!

Ness xx

images ©Ness Lockyer