Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Apiced Apple Pie
Serves 8
2/3 firmly packed cup (160g) brown sugar
2 tbs plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1cm wedges
2 delicious apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1crn wedges
2 royal gala apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1cm wedges
1/3 cup (55g) raisins
30g unsalted butter, thinly sliced
1 tbs milk
2 tsp raw sugar
Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Pastry
2 1/2 cups (375g) plain flour
2 tbs caster sugar
250g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
For the pastry, whiz the flour, sugar, and 1 tsp salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and whiz until there are pea-size pieces of butter. While pulsing, drizzle 1/2 cup (125ml) iced water through the feed tube until moist clumps form. Transfer dough to a work surface, divide roughly in half, one half slightly larger than the other, and shape into 2 thick discs. Enclose each in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Position a rack on the lowest rung in the oven (being near the heat source helps the pie bottom bake and brown properly) and preheat oven to 220°C. In a bowl, whisk brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and 1/4 tsp salt to combine. Stir in apple and raisins. Place the larger disc of dough on a lightly floured work surface and dust with flour. Starting from the centre and rolling toward the edges, roll out the dough to a 32cm round, occasionally rotating and dusting the surface with flour to prevent the dough sticking. Place the rolling pin on the edge that's furthest away from you and gently and loosely roll the dough around the pin until you have half on the pin. Hold the pin over a greased 24cm pie dish and unroll the dough over the dish. Lightly press dough into the base and sides, then trim the overhang to 1cm. Chill for 15 minutes to firm up. Roll out the remaining disc to a 30cm round.
Spread the apple mixture in the pastry case, then scatter over the butter and cover with the remaining dough round. Trim the overhang to 1cm and press the edges together. Fold the dough under itself so it is flush with the edge of the pie plate, then crimp decoratively.
Brush the pie with milk and sprinkle over the raw sugar. Using a small knife, cut 4 steam vents in the top. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C and bake for a further 55 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling through the steam vents. Cool the pie slightly on a wire rack, then slice and serve warm with ice cream.