Apple lattice pie

Classic apple pie, with crisp and crumbly pastry, apples and cinnamon.  Warming treat for the rainy days!


Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 245g plain flour
• 125g cold, unsalted butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1tbsp greek yoghurt, or soured cream
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp cold water

For the filling:

• 7-8 small Cox apples
• 1,5tsp cinnamon
• 2tbsp corn flour
• 2tbsp caster sugar

Additional:

• 2tbsp polenta
• 2tbsp ground almonds
• 1 egg white

To make the pastry place all of the ingredients (apart of water) in a bowl and rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.  Add 1-2tbsp of cold water and knead quickly until just combined.  

Shape the pastry into a ball and wrap with foil, place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Roll out 2/3 of the pastry and press into a greased 20cm pie dish. Prick with a fork, line with baking paper and fill with baking beans.  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 10 minutes, then remove the paper and baking beans and bake for further 10-15 minutes, until the pastry is dried and baked through. 

To make the filling peel and thinly slice the apples.  Mix with corn flour, cinnamon and sugar.

Sprinkle polenta and ground almonds onto the base, then fill the pastry case with apples.  

Roll out the remaining pastry, cut into stripes and arrange on top of the pie. 

Brush with an egg white, and bake at 170C for about 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Puff pastry mince pies

Easier and quicker version of traditional mince pies, made with puff pastry.  So good and so quick you just have to make it!  I used my homemade cranberry mincemeat but you can use shop-bough if you prefer.


Ingredients:

• 320g puff pastry
• 320g mince meat (or half of my home-made cranberry mincemeat)
• icing sugar for sprinkling

Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle (or use a ready-rolled), then spread the mincemeat on top, leaving two centimetres along the edges of the longer sides. 

Roll into a sausage shape (like swiss-roll), then cut into about 2 cm thick pieces, you should get about 15 pies.  Place on a lined baking sheet, spaced well apart.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for about 20 minutes, until well risen and golden brown.   Leave to cool a little, then sprinkle with icing sugar.  

Enjoy!

Star-topped mince pies

I never really liked mince pies, until I made those- with my own, homemade cranberry mincemeat and this delicious almond shortcrust pastry (found on www.bbcgoodfood.co.uk).  Great combination of fresh cranberries, dried fruit and spices, so delicious!


Ingredients (for 14-15 mince pies):

For the pastry:

• 200g plain flour
• 40g caster sugar
• 75g ground almonds
• 125g unsalted, cold butter
• 1 egg

For the filling:

• about 320g mincemeat (half of the cranberry mincemeat from THIS recipe or if you are using shop-bought, make sure it is good quality)

Additionally:

• icing sugar for sprinkling

To make the pastry combine flour, sugar and almonds in a bowl, add cold, diced butter and rub with you fingertips until the mixture is crumble-like.  Add an egg and knead quickly on a floured surface to bring the dough together.  Chill in the fridge for about an hour. 

Lightly butter a 12-hole muffin tin and set aside.  Roll out the dough (not too thick and not too thin) and cut out circles big enough to go half-way up the tin (about 8cm in diameter). Place the circles of the dough in the tin and prick with a fork.  Cut out enough stars from the remaining dough to cover all the pies.  Fill each pie with a spoonful of filling and top with a star.  

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for about 20 minutes until golden brown.  Leave to cool in the tin for couple of minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.  

Enjoy!

Blackberry, rhubarb and apple lattice pie

Sweet and crumbly shortcrust pastry filled with delicious apples, blackberries and rhubarb.  It is so easy to make and can be also made with shop-bought pastry, but I really advise you make your own.  You can use any fruit you like, but if using berries or other soft fruit, don't cook it beforehand.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 175g plain flour 
• 75g chilled butter 
• 2-3 tbsp cold water

For the lattice topping:

• 58g plain flour
• 75g chilled butter
• 1 tbsp cold water

For the filling:

• 6 cooking apples (Cox or Bramley)
• 100g blackberries
• 3 pieces of rhubarb
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 1tbsp corn flour
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 1tsp ground ginger
• 2-3 tbsp caster sugar

Additionally:

• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar

To make the fruit filling peel and dice the apples, place in a pot with cinnamon, ginger and sugar.

Add about 5 tbsp of boiling water and begin to cook, when slightly softened (remember the fruit will continue to cook in the oven so you don't want it to be too soft) add the rhubarb and blackberries, cook for couple of minutes, then take of the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Place the fruit in a fridge and leave to cool completely.  It is important that the filling is cold, as hot fruit will melt the pastry and make is soggy before it is baked. 

To make the pastry rub the cold butter into the flour, with your fingertips, then add cold water and mix to form a soft dough.

Roll out the pastry and place in a greased 20cm flan tin.  Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To make the pastry for the lattice topping, follow the steps of making pastry, using all 'lattice' ingredients, wrap in foil and place in the fridge.

Pre- heat the oven to 200C.  Place a piece of baking parchment on top of the pastry case and fill with ceramic baking beans.  Place the tart in hot oven and bake for 10 minutes.  

Remove baking beans and baking paper and continue baking for further 5-10 minutes, bottom of the pastry should feel slightly dry to the touch.

Weigh out 600g (you should fill your pie crust right to the top) of fruit filling you prepared and mix the corn flour and ground almonds.  Place in the pastry case.

Roll out the lattice pastry and cut into strips.  Form a lattice on top of the pie and brush with a lightly beaten egg.   Sprinkle demerara sugar and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for about 20 minutes, until pastry is golden brown.

Enjoy!