Apple Pie

A community recipe by courgette

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

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Introduction

Everyone who eats this says it's the best apple pie they've eaten in their life. To see a picture, look in the "Chelse" album on the Yahoo photos site.

Ingredients

Serves: 6-8

For the Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 pinch of salt
5 ounces soft unsalted butter
iced water

For the Filling

5 apples
½ cup soft unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup superfine sugar
½ cup soft light brown sugar
1 pinch of salt
¼ cup water
cinnamon (to taste)

For the Glaze

milk
superfine sugar

Method

Apple Pie is a community recipe submitted by courgette and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C, gas stove mark 7).

Make the pastry... cut the butter into small squares, and refrigerate. Measure the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter, and using a pastry cutter, blend in the butter until it resembles wet sand. Bring together, using a few tablespoons of ice water at a time, until almost totally cohesive, then work it for a bit to make it a nice dough.

Cut in half, and form each half into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap (clingfilm) and refrigerate till needed.

Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Then cut each apple quarter in half lengthways, then each of those pieces in half horizontally (to give you 16 chunks per apple). You don't have to be this precise... this is just how I find it easy to do...

Cover the apples directly with plastic wrap (clingfilm) to prevent browning. Place in the fridge.

Melt butter in a 2-quart (about 2 litre) sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add sugar, brown sugar, salt, and water; bring to a bubbly simmer. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring a lot.

Meanwhile, roll out your pastry and place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Sprinkle over your desired amount of cinnamon (I like a lot).

When the sauce is done, slowly and evenly pour it over the apples.

Place the top crust on, seal edges (I put a little water between the two crusts, to help them adhere), roll the excess under, and flute edges. Cut four steam slits in the top to look like a cross but don't connect at the middle. Paint the crust with the milk, and generously sprinkle over the sugar.

Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C, gas stove mark 7). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C, gas stove mark 4), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Tell us what you think

What 6 Others have said

So glad to see this recipe is still on here. I was using it to bake THE BEST pies (Thank you!!). Haven't made one for a few years and can't remember the best pie tin size? I think I bought a 9-inch pan but I would love a reminder.

Posted by Satna1 on 12th August 2022
This recipe is confusing. Pie looked beautiful, but when I cut it, inside ren out. Is this normal? What went wrong? I was sceptical about the taste, but it's actually good. Not the best ever.

Posted by Bloedworst on 20th September 2016
This recipe really is good and easy to follow! Apple pie is yummy as well

Posted by Occasional cooker on 17th August 2015
Awesome! Great taste & easy to make... Everybody loves it! Thanx sista! P/s continuously baked it for 3 days in a row! The only thing: I've double up the pastry ingredients for the top & bottom!

Posted by Azrina303 on 20th September 2013
My first pie! And best pie!

Posted by kalunday on 29th April 2013
It really is the best pie I have ever tested so far!! I 've just reduced a bit the butter and sugar in the filling.

Posted by grebulle on 5th December 2011