Home Made Apple Pie...

Well this is a post I didn't think I'd be writing this week!

But what do you do when a juice detox goes pear shaped? (Sorry I couldn't resist)

You make Apple Pie of course!

I didn't have high expectations as last time I tried apple crumble it didn't go too well, it was ok but not great.

And I was even making the the pastry from scratch.

Also as I had two little helpers this could probably go into the records books as the longest time to make apple pie ever recorded :)

But I have to say it was delicious and I was very pleasantly surprised.

Here's the recipe I followed:

serves 6

Ingredients

• for the pastry
• 
  
• • 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• • 50g icing sugar
• • sea salt
• • 1 lemon
• • 125g cold butter, plus extra for greasing
• • 2 large eggs
• • a splash of milk
• 
  
• for the filling
• 
  
• • 5 eating apples (I used my left over Golden Delicious)
• • 3 tablespoons Demerara sugar
• • ½ a lemon

To make your pastry

 Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4

 From a height, sieve your flour into a large mixing bowl

 Add the sugar, a pinch of salt, and finely grate over the zest of the lemon

 Cut the butter into cubes, then add to the bowl

 Use your fingertips to gently work the butter into the flour and sugar until the  mixture resembles breadcrumbs

 Crack the egg into the bowl with a tiny drop of milk and gently mix with your    hands until the dough   comes together

 Wrap it in clingfilm and pop in the fridge to rest while you make the filling

To make your filling

  Peel all of your apples (do not nearly slice off your little finger like I did)

  Cut the eating apples into eighths, get rid of the cores

  Add all the apple pieces to a small pan with the sugar

  Finely grate over the zest of half a lemon, then squeeze in a little juice 

  Toss to mix then put the pan on a medium low heat 

  Simmer gently until the apples are just tender

  Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely

To make and cook your pie

Dust a clean work surface and rolling pin with flour 

Divide your pastry dough into two and roll out one half until ½cm thick 

Carefully roll your pastry around the rolling pin, then unroll it carefully over a 20cm pie dish

Finely grate over the zest of half a lemon, then squeeze in a little juice 

Ease the pastry into the dish, making sure you push it into all the sides

Don’t worry if it tears or breaks – just patch it up – it will look nice and rustic 

Pack the apple mix tightly into the pie dish

Separate your remaining egg and beat the yolk with a splash of milk and brush over the pastry rim 

Roll out the other piece of dough until ½cm thick 

Carefully roll the pastry around the rolling pin, then unroll it over the top of the pie

Fold the excess pastry back in then pinch and crimp the edges together using your finger and thumb 

small incisions in the centre of the pie to let steam escape as it cooks

Bake in the hot oven for 40 to 45 minutes until golden and firm to the touch 

Serve with custard, fresh cream or ice cream

Serve and enjoy