Traditional Appple Pie Recipe

Traditional Apple Pie ( from Comfort Food- recipes to soothe, cheer, reassure and indulge and Apple pie comes under to soothe)

Pastry:

350g plain flour,

pinch of salt,

85g butter or margarine, cut into small pieces

85g white vegetable fat, cut into small pieces,

about 6 tbsp cold water

beaten egg or milk, for glazing

To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and fat and rub in with the fingertips ( gaul dan ramas method ) until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and gather the mixture together into a dough. Wrap the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Roll out almost two-thirds of the pastry thinly and use to line a deep 23 cm/9" pie plate or pie tin.

I think I forgot to put in the salt:-)

FILLING:

750g - 1 kg cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced

125g light brown sugar or caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

1/2 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon, mixed spice or ground ginger

1-2 tbsp water (optional)

Mix the apples with the sugar and spice and pack into the pastry case; the filling can come up above the rim. Add the water if needed, particularly if the apples are not very juicy.

Roll out the remaining pastry to form a lid. Dampen the edges of the pie rim with water and position the lid, pressing the edges firmly together. Trim and crimp the edges.

Using the trimmings, cut out leaves or whatever shape you fancy to decorate the top; dampen and attach. Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg or milk, make 1 or 2 slits in the top and place the pie on a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180C/350f/gas mark 4 for a further 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve hot or cold, sprinkled with sugar ( I forgot to sprinkle with sugar :-) )

That reminds of a P.Ramlee movie "Ahmad Albab" which I watched last week and many many times before that too, where P.Ramlee as Abdul Wahub who got to marry a rich but stingy man's daughter, Biduanita Saloma as Mastura; presented their father-in-law/father with a rather strange birthday gift , nothing fancy, nothing extravagant much to the disappointment of his father in law but, roti canai and curry, coffee, salt and sugar. To cut the story short, without the two, salt and sugar , curry will not taste like curry without the former and coffee won't be as nice without the latter ( some like it black, mind you ).

However, despite the lack of salt and the sprinkled sugar on my apple pie, it turned out good, for my first attempt. Anyone out there, why don't you try this recipe out and to my dear Shashue, here's another one to add to your pie recipe collection. Happy pie making!