Right. I’m braving the lions, so to speak, and posting this recipe. It needs improvement and I haven’t actually gotten around to improving it yet. So the warning is, “caveat emptor” if you do try the recipe. This attempt at creating a “pretty” pie was inspired by a Rick Stein episode. He was in France and he visited this lady who makes these gorgeous apple pies. Needless to say I had to try to make it and well, my attempt needed a LOT of fine-tuning.
For the crust (as Jamie Oliver recommended):
Store-bought puff pastry, a 450g package (or thereabouts)
For the topping:
Store-bought filo pastry, a 270g package (or thereabouts)
For the filling:
4 Jonagold apples (you could use Granny Smith but you’ll have to use more sugar
1/2 c caster sugar
1/2 c light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c cornstarch
3 tbsp lemon (fresh if you can get it, but bottled is fine too!)
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp sugar
Directons:
- Press the puff pastry into a spring form pan (a 9-inch one will do).
- In a mixing bowl, mix sliced apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon and cornstarch (as Nigella said, your hands are the best mixing implements).
- Arrange the apple mixture in the puff pastry shell (be as creative or as O.C. as you want to be!)
- Cut each filo pastry sheet into 4. Fold into a triangle and “crumple” on top of the apple mixture. Do this until the pie is completely covered.
- Beat the egg and sugar. Beat until egg mixture is fluffy. Brush over the topping.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 180C for 45 mins to 1 hr, when you see the syrup bubbling through the topping, turn down the oven to 150C and bake for 10 more minutes.
Yellywelly 