Apple Pie with Cinnamon Pastry
Thin crispy pastry encases a mountain of apples coated in luscious juices of citrus and caramel. The cooking aromas will have everyone flocking to the kitchen!
SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS
PASTRY
2½ cups plain flour
pinch sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons icing sugar
175 grams cold butter, diced
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons cold water
FILLING
1½ kilograms apples, I used Braeburn
finely grated zest from 1 orange and 1 lemon
2 tablespoons each orange and lemon juice
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
30 grams butter
2 tablespoons cream
3 tablespoons cornflour
TO COOK
1 egg, beaten
raw sugar for sprinkling
24cm pie dish or tart tin, greased
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
PASTRY: Put the flour, salt, cinnamon, icing sugar and butter in a food processor and process until it resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk the egg, lemon juice and water together and pour onto the flour mixture. Pulse until the dough just starts to come together. Tip onto the bench and bring together with your hands. Divide in half and form into flat discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm.
FILLING: Peel, quarter and core the apples then cut into 1cm thick wedges.
Combine the apples, orange and lemon juice, brown sugar and the mixed spice in a large bowl and turn to coat well. Leave for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, by which time there should be a good amount of sugary juices in the bottom of the bowl.
Tip the apples into a large sieve set over a bowl and leave for 10 minutes for all the juices to drain through. Tip the juices into a small saucepan and add the butter. Bring to the boil then simmer for 3 minutes. Add the cream, bring back to the boil then simmer for 3 minutes. Set the caramel aside to cool.
TO ASSEMBLE: Roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured bench to a 30cm circle. Fold the circle in half then in half again and place in the pie dish. Unfold and press the pastry into the tin. Roll out the second piece of dough to the same size.
Toss the apples with the cornflour, both zests and the caramel sauce to coat well. Tip into the pie dish. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash then place the second piece of pastry over the apples. Crimp the edges with a fork and trim off the excess pastry. Make small slashes in the pastry to allow the steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar.
Bake for 45–50 minutes, covering the pie loosely with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over-browning.
Serve warm with softly whipped cream, ice cream or custard.
