I don’t understand how this occurred however I realised that one in all my all favorite autumn issues is lacking from this weblog. I’ve not but revealed a recipe for an apple pie, which I really like. I don’t understand how I missed that, my honest apologies and I’m dashing to recitify this oversight with at present’s recipe.
My apple pie is a straightforward affair of crispy shortcrust pastry and candy and bitter cinnamon scented apple filling. It’s actually not that onerous to make, particularly if – like me – your rope in your meals processor to make the pastry for you. The pie doesn’t require a blind bake and I pre-cook the apples solely only for a couple of minutes to make sure there aren’t any gaps beneath my pastry as soon as they shrink within the oven.
MORE ABOUT FILLING INGREDIENTS
APPLES: I actually like a little bit of a tang in an apple pie so I’ve opted for Bramley cooking apples – the most well-liked cooking apple selection within the UK – in mine. Bramley apples are quite bitter and prepare dinner quick so by the point the pie has totally baked they have an inclination to soften into one another – there aren’t any distinct apple items left. I occur to love that, however when you don’t use an consuming selection that doesn’t disintegrate fairly so simply. My second apple selection can be Granny Smiths.
CORNFLOUR / CORNSTARCH: a small quantity of cornflour (or cornstarch when you reside within the US) is required to soak up apple juices and to thicken the filling. You can substitute it with tapioca starch or arrowroot in idea, however I haven’t tried both of them on this context.
CINNAMON: I really like the mixture of apples with cinnamon in an apple pie so I’ve opted to make use of cinnamon by itself, however you may add different spices too when you favor. Ginger, all spice, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves would all work very well. I personally solely like a contact of cloves as they have an inclination to overpower simply however use your judgement.
LEMON: my apples had been actually fairly bitter so I didn’t really feel the necessity to add any lemon juice, but when yours are candy add a tablespoon or two to steadiness the sweetness and to brighten up the filling. I did add a small amout of lemon zest for a pop of citrusy flavour although.
SUGAR: I used a mixture for caster sugar and light-weight muscovado sugar, which add a fragile caramel like flavour, however you should utilize any sugar your like.
VEGAN BUTTER: a small quantity of vegan butter retains the filling moist and indulgent. I used a vegan butter block Naturli, however coconut oil (I like to make use of perfume free sort ) works nicely too.
VANILLA: a contact of vanilla is at all times good so as to add to a dessert however as there’s cinnamon and lemon zest right here already, you possibly can skip when you don’t have any available.
MORE ABOUT PASTRY INGREDIENTS
FLOUR: I used all function (also referred to as plain) flour to make the pastry. In case you want to make the pastry gluten-free, use a dependable gluten-free flour combine that has an excellent portion of starches, which assist to maintain gluten-free flours supple.
XANTHAN GUM: a small quantity of xanthan gum is required to maintain gluten-free pastry versatile.
SUGAR: I used superfine white sugar (generally known as caster within the UK) as its small particles soften into the pastry simply throughout baking. A very good alertnative can be icing sugar / confectioners sugar – you’ll want 50 g or 1/3 cup of it.
VEGAN BUTTER: good high quality vegan butter that is available in a strong block (not the spreadable form, in a bathtub) is vital to an excellent vegan shortcrust pastry. I used Naturli, which is salt free. You too can make a terrific vegan pastry with coconut oil if that’s what you favor (I like to make use of perfume free coconut oil )
Pulse all pastry components (other than water) a few occasions till the combination appears to be like pebbly, i.e. there aren’t any chunks of butter left. Subsequent, pulse the combination while trickling in ice chilly water till the combination begins to resemble breadcrumbs – add as little water as you will get away with, the much less water the higher your pastry can be. The photograph on the proper was taken after water has been added.
As soon as the combination is simply moist sufficient (with out feeling moist) to clump up in your palm, switch it to the counter and gently carry it collectively together with your arms right into a disc – don’t knead! Refrigate for at the least 60 minutes to calm down the gluten and preserve the pastry tender.
Peel, quarter or lower into eights (in case your apples are actually large like mine) and core your apples and slice into thick slices.
Add apple slices to some melted butter, then stir dry components into the apples utilizing a spatula. Prepare dinner for about 8 minutes, till the apples have softened and the sugar and butter became a gooey caramel-like sauce.
Roll 2/3 of the pastry right into a spherical slighly larger than your pie dish, line the pie dish with the pastry then fill with chilly apple filling.
Roll of the remainder of the pastry and lower fourteen 2 cm / 0.75″ broad strips out of it. Prepare the primary seven on prime of the pie the weave the remaining seven between them – see methodology.
Glaze the lattice prime, defend the sides with a strip of tin foil and bake till the pastry is golden and the apples are effervescent fortunately of their juices.
APPLE FILLING
- approx. 1.2 kg / 42 oz Bramley (or different bitter) apples*
- zest of ½ lemon
- 20 g / 2½ tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- an excellent pinch of salt
- 50 g / ¼ cup caster sugar (or different sugar)
- 100 g / ½ cup gentle muscovado sugar (or different sugar)
- 2 tbsp / 25 g vegan butter (or coconut oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (non-compulsory)
PASTRY
- 375 g / 3 cups all function flour or GF flour combine
- 2½ tsp xanthan gum (provided that utilizing GF flour combine)
- ¾ tsp high-quality salt
- 50 g / ¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 200 g / 7 oz (1 cup) vegan butter (or coconut oil)
- 75-90 ml / 5-6 tbsp ice chilly water
- GLAZE: 8 g / 2 tsp gentle muscovado dissolved in 30 ml / 2 tbsp plant milk & 5 ml / 1 tsp oil
METHOD
APPLE FILLING
- Peel your apples, lower into quarters (or eights in case your apples are large like mine), core and slice into 0.5 cm / 0.25″ slices. If utilizing candy apples, sprinkle them with some (1-2 tbsp) lemon juice.
- In a small bowl mix cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and each sugars – that is particularly essential if utilizing moist sugar like muscovado, which tends to clump up – utilizing a fork work the components into one another nicely.
- Add vegan butter to a heavy backside giant pot and soften it on a low warmth.
- Add apple slices and vanilla extract (if utilizing). Utilizing a large silcone spatula gently combine the apples into the melted butter, then stir dry components into the apples.
- Prepare dinner on a low warmth whereas stirring gently the entire time in order that the sugar doesn’t catch.
- Prepare dinner till the apples are solely simply softened (about 8 minutes for Bramley apples) and the dry components and butter flip right into a thick caramel-like sauce. Settle down utterly.
PASTRY
- Mix the flour, icing sugar, salt and xanthan gum (if making GF pastry) within the meals processor bowl. Alternatively, you can also make the pastry by hand – see pictures right here.
- Chop vegan butter (or coconut oil) into small items and add it to the dry components. Pulse the machine a number of occasions to chop the fats into the flour.
- Step by step trickle in ice chilly water whereas pulsing the combination. You’ve added sufficient water when the combination begins to resemble breadcrumbs and clumps collectively in your hand when squeezed however doesn’t really feel moist – you wish to add as little water as attainable.
- Switch the pastry combination out of the meals processor. Gently press the dough collectively together with your arms right into a disc, however don’t knead – deal with as little as you possibly can or else your pastry can be powerful.
- Wrap the pastry in a bit of cling movie and chill within the fridge for at the least 60 minutes or so long as you want.
- Take away the dough from the fridge, lower one third of the dough off and return to the fridge.
ASSEMBLY & BAKING
- Pre-heat the oven to 200° C / 390° F and place a pizza stone or an old school steel tin in the course of the oven. Put together a protracted double strip of kitchen foil to wrap across the edges of the pie to stop them from browning too shortly.
- Roll larger portion of the pastry out on a calmly floured floor till the pastry is about 3-4 mm / 1/8″ in thickness and slighly bigger then your pie pan. Line the pan with the rolled pastry so that there’s a small overhang. Pierce the pastry with a fork throughout.
- Fill the pie with chilly apple filling, distribute them evenly to keep away from gaps.
- Roll out the remaining pastry right into a 24 cm / 9.5″ lengthy rectangle on a calmly floured floor, utilizing a knife or a pastry cutter lower fourteen 2.5 cm / 1″ broad strips.
- Prepare the the primary seven strips of pastry on prime of the filling in a single route. Make certain the strips aren’t streched to permit the filling to rise and fall (throughout and after baking).
- Pull again each second strip half manner and place one strip perpendicular to the remaining. Return the pulled again strips to the place they had been.
- Pull again alternating strips (those that stayed down final time) and place one strip perpendicular to the remaining. Return the pulled again strips to the place they had been. Proceed on this method till you’ve lined the complete pie.
- Press the lattice strips to the sides of the pastry together with your fingers or a fork and trim the surplus pastry with a pointy knife – depart a teeny tiny overhang over the sting of the dish as pastry will shrink just a little throughout baking.
- Mix glaze components in a small bowl and glaze the lattice with a pastry brush. Wrap kitchen foil loosely across the egdes to stop them from browing too quick.
- Bake for half-hour, then lower the temperature to 190° C / 375° F and stick with it baking till the pastry is golden and the filling effervescent – roughly one other half-hour.
- Permit the pie to accept 2-3 hrs earlier than slicing. Eat on the day ideally or retailer in an air-tight container out of the fridge (at cool temperature) for as much as 2 days if wanted.
NOTES
PIE PAN: I used 23 cm / 9″ pie pan that’s 3 cm / 1.2″ deep. If utilizing a deep pie pan, you will have to double the quantity of filling.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
*per 1 out of 16 servings
