Pies and Tarts Dessert Recipes - American Apple Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 350g/3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

• 1 pinch of salt

• 75g/1/3 cup hard block margarine, diced

• 75g/1/3 cup white vegetable fat, diced

• cold water, to mix

• 1 kg/2 1/4 lb cooking apples thinly sliced

• finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon

• 15ml/2 tbsp corn flour

• 15g/3/4 cup light brown sugar

• 5ml/1 tsp grated nutmeg

• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp mixed (apple-pie) spice

• 30ml/2 tbsp chopped mixed nuts

• 25g/2 tbsp unsalted (sweet) butter

• a little cream, to glaze

• icing sugar for dusting

• ice cream, to serve

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Method:

1. Sift the flour and salt to a bowl. Add the margarine and white fat and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Mix with enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Cut in half, roll out one half and to use to line a 25 cm/10 in pie plate.

3. Mix the apple slices with all the remaining ingredients except the butter. Pile in the centre of the pie. Dot with the butter. Roll out the remaining pastry.

4. Brush the edges of the pie with water and place the pastry over to over the filing. Press the edges well together to seal, then trim, knock up  the edge and flute with the back of a knife.

5. Make a hole in the centre to allow steam to escape. Make leaves out pf pastry trimmings and use to decorate the pie.

6. Brush with a little cream to glaze and bake in a preheated oven at 220C/425F/gar mark 7 for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 190C/375F/gar mark 5 for about 35 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

7. Dust liberally wit sifted icing sugar and serve warm with ice cream.