Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 14oz plain flour, plus extra rolling
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 10oz cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 free-range egg, beaten with 2 tbsp cold water, plus 1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze
• 5½oz golden caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1lb 5oz Bramley cooking apples, peeled, cored, sliced

Method

1. Put the flour, caster sugar and lemon zest in a bowl and rub the cold butter cubes in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then stir in the beaten egg with a round-bladed knife until a dough forms.
2. Set one third of the pastry aside for the lid and roll the rest out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin, 2 to 2¾ in larger than a deep 1¼ qt pie dish.
3. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin, lower it gently into the dish and press it firmly into the base and up the sides with no air bubbles trapped, then chill the lined dish while you make the filling.
4. Heat the oven to 400°F with a baking tray inside to heat up.
5. Mix the golden caster sugar, cinnamon and cornflour in a large bowl and stir the sliced Bramley apples through until they are coated on all sides.
6. Heap the apple filling into the pastry case so it rises above the rim, especially in the middle, and brush the pastry rim with beaten egg.
7. Roll the reserved pastry out into a lid, lay it over the pie and press the edges together firmly to seal them.
8. Trim away the excess pastry, crimp all around the edge, cut a few small steam holes in the centre of the lid with the tip of a knife and glaze the top with more beaten egg.
9. Knead the trimmings lightly, re-roll them and cut out leaf shapes to arrange, slightly overlapping, around the edge of the pie, glazing the leaves with egg as well.
10. Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar over the pie and bake it in the centre of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until it is golden-brown all over and the apples inside are tender, then serve it warm or cold.

Prep: 30 min · Cook: 1 h

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data