Apple pie is seasonal bliss conjuring memories of warmth, love and togetherness. Chef’s recipe combines a tender apple pie filling tucked into a buttery crust, with a decadent dollop of maple and cinnamon mascarpone. Delicious! PRINT
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6-8
Pastry
340g flour, plus extra for dusting
225g butter, cut into 1cm cubes
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg yolk
Filling
6 large cooking apples (such as Granny Smith or Braeburn), peeled, quartered and cored
3/4 cup caster sugar,
plus extra for sprinkling
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour
25g butter, cut into small cubes
Milk for brushing
Topping
250g mascarpone
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
CHEFS HOME TIPS
For the flakiest, most tender crust, keep all your pastry ingredients cold. Chilled butter, ice-cold water, even cold flour. If butter melts into the flour, the crust will be tough.
Adding a little cornflour to the bottom of your crust before filling the pie with apples creates a moisture barrier. Goodbye soggy bottom – hello crisp bottom crust!
Use a mix of apples for a more complex, deeper flavour. But avoid Red Delicious apples for pies, they don’t cook well.
TO MAKE
Pastry
Preheat oven to 200˚C. Shift flour in large bowl then add butter and salt. With clean, cold hands, rub the butter in flour until mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs. Do not overwork, there should be plenty of visible pieces of butter.
Whisk cold water and egg yolk lightly until combined. Add to flour and mix until a dough forms. Again, do not overwork the pastry, err on the side of under – versus over-mixing – just enough that it comes together. Divide pastry in half, wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Dust the bench liberally with flour. Roll out both pieces of pastry until about 5mm thick. Cut one for the base to fit a 28cm flan tin, with a couple of centimetres overhang for crimping with the top. Lower the dough loosely into the dish, letting the dough fall down into the creases at the edge rather than pushing or forcing it.
Filling
Slice each apple quarter into 4-5 slices and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the caster sugar, lemon juice, flour and butter, and mix until combined. Layer the apples in the pie base.
Brush the edge of the pastry with a little milk. Cut the second piece of pastry slightly larger than the pie shell, placing on top of the apples. Carefully crimp edges together and make 4 small cuts in the centre of the lid for steam vents. Brush top with milk and sprinkle on caster sugar.
Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Place on a cooling rack to cool slightly.
Topping
Place all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk gently until combined. Chill until required.
To serve, slice generous wedges of pie and place on warm plates. Finish with a dollop of the maple and cinnamon mascarpone.