Rav Gill Apple pie

 

The pie crust here is something really special. It’s so easy to put together but the result is the flakiest, most addictive pastry you’ll eat. There’s no faff around making folds either, the high butter quantity and keeping it COLD contributes to a really excellent texture. Here i’m housing the pie crust with a traditional sweet apple cinnamon filling paired best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or custard. The cornflour mixed through the filling helps to absorb the liquid and thicken it whilst it bakes, if you were to change the fruit keep the cornflour in and make sure the fruit you chose isn’t too ‘wet’ as it will soak through the bottom. 

Makes 1 x 8 inch pie x 2inch height 

 

Ingredients

225g strong white flour

175g unsalted butter, cold, cubed

15g caster sugar

5g fine salt

70ml ice cold water

2tbsp milk, for brushing

1tbsp demerrera sugar for sprinkling

375g braeburn apple, after peeling and coring

90g golden caster sugar sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

2.5 tbsp cornflour

 

Make the pastry:

 

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour, salt and sugar together.

Add in the butter and mix until the butter had formed breadcrumbs, you still want to be able to see some chunks of butter.

Add in the water in one go and mix quickly to form a dough.

Tip the dough out onto your work surface and bring together with your hands.

Wrap tightly in cling film and place in the fridge to firm up, about 4 hours.

 

Make the filling

 

Peel the apples and remove the core, cut into 1cm cubes.

Coat the apples in the sugar, cinnamon and cornflour

Set aside whilst you prepare the pie case

 

Prepare and bake

 

Grease the pie dish or cake tin with butter

Gently knead the cold dough a bit, cut ⅓ off and keep aside for the top. and roll out to 4mm, grease an 8 inch pie case or closed bottom cake tin. 

Line the tin with the pastry, leaving a bit of an overhang. Keep the scraps if you have any and add this to the ⅓ for the top. Put this in the fridge whilst you prepare the top

Roll the rest of the pastry to 4mm and cut a lattice or leave whole, put in the fridge to chill for 15 mins 

Once the case and top are cold, add the apple mixture and top with the lid. If the top is being left whole, pierce a hole in the top. Return to the fridge

Heat the oven to 200 degrees fan/ 220 oven. Put a heavy baking tray in the oven to heat up, it works best on the bottom shelf of the oven

Brush the top of the pie with milk and sprinkle the sugar on the top

Bake for 50 minutes- 1 hour until golden brown (put the pie directly on the hot tray)

Allow to cool slightly before serving with ice cream, custard or cream