Granny Smith's Apple Pie by Hansells Baking
Cakes and Tarts
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
PASTRY
2 cups flour
¼ cup icing sugar
150g cold butter
1 egg yolk
5 – 6 tablespoons cold water
FILLING
4 – 5 cups cold, cooked apple
TO SERVE
Icing sugar
Cream
Hansells Vanilla Paste
Method:
Sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and enough water to make a stiff dough. Knead lightly with the finger tips to form the pastry into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the pastry to rest.
Cut one third from the pastry for the top of the pie. Roll out the larger piece of pastry on a lightly floured board to a rough circle, large enough to line the base and sides of a 20 centimetre pie dish. If using a ceramic dish, bake blind at 190 degrees C for 10 minutes keeping the baking blind paper over the rim of the pastry. This will help make sure the bottom of the pie is cooked. Remove the baking blind material and cool the pastry shell for 5 minutes. Fill the pie shell with the cooked apple. Roll out the second piece of pastry to a round large enough to cover the top of the pie. Brush the rim of the pastry with water. Using the rolling pin to lift the pastry, place it over the top of the pie, pressing the edges together. Make 2 – 3 holes in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Decorate with pastry scraps. Bake at 190 degrees C for 40 - 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and cooked.
To serve, dust with icing sugar or serve with cream flavoured with Hansells vanilla paste.
Serves 6 – 8
VARIATION
Add 1 teaspoon of Hansells Almond Essence to the pastry with the first tablespoon of water. Lightly beat the egg white with 2 tablespoons sugar. Brush over the top of the pie before cutting the steam holes. Sprinkle the top of the pie with slivered almonds.
