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No metrosexual red velvet cake or rainbow sponge this week. Today we have pie. Good old fashioned honest pie. Earthy and traditional, oozing heritage of farmhouses, scrubbed stone floors and muddy boots left outside. This medley of bursting fruit strapped in with thick pieces of glorious deep crust makes a wonderful centre piece desert after a hearty main.
Ingredients:
2 x 320g pack Jus-Rol ready rolled shortcrust pastry sheet
6-7 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
200g sugar
120g unsalted butter
60ml water
45g plain flour
1½ tbsp ground cinnamon
For the egg wash:
1 egg
1 tbsp water
Method:
Preheat oven to 200c.
For the pie crust:
Take the pastry out the fridge 20 mins prior to using as it needs to be room temp. Unroll 1 pastry sheet and carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish, allowing extra pastry to hang over the edges. Unroll the 2nd sheet and width ways cut 10 equal strips.
For the filling:
Peel, core and slice 6-7 apples, place in a large bowl and sprinkle with the cinnamon.
In a saucepan gently melt the butter, then whisk in the flour, add the water and sugar, bring to the boil then reduce heat and continue to whisk while the mixture simmers for appx 3 mins. Once ready pour over the apples and stir to make sure all apples are coated, then add the mixture to the pie dish, mounding apples slightly in the centre.
Arrange the pastry strips in a woven lattice pattern on top. Roll the pastry from the bottom sheet over the strips on top and pinch them together, (the pastry will shrink slightly when cooked).
Beat the egg and tbsp of water together then brush over the top of the pastry. Place in the oven and bake for 15 mins, then reduce heat to 175c and bake for a further 45 mins. The filling will be bubbling when ready and the pastry will be golden brown.
Take out the oven and all to cool.
This moist fluffy cake is so quick and easy, it's often the first thing French children are taught to bake. Popular across the Mediterranean this Greek yoghurt version helps with the light airy texture. You can also mix everything into one pot so there's very little clearing up after, and the aroma of fresh baking with vanilla wafting through the house gives a warm homely feel, said Michael!
