James Martin Apple Pie Pastry Food

SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Put 150g plain flour and 75g unsalted butter in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Mix in 50g icing sugar and a pinch of salt followed by 1 egg yolk. If the pastry feels too dry to form a dough, add 1 tbsp water. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it out into a disc, wrap it in cling film, then chill for at least 30 mins before using in your recipes. You could try using it to make our apple & blackberry pies.

ULTIMATE APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Put a layer of paper towels on a large baking sheet. Quarter, core, peel and slice the apples about 5mm thick and lay evenly on the baking sheet. Put paper towels on top and set aside while you make and chill the pastry.
• For the pastry, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until just mixed. Break in a whole egg and a yolk (keep the white for glazing later). Beat together for just under 1 min - it will look a bit like scrambled egg. Now work in the flour with a wooden spoon, a third at a time, until it's beginning to clump up, then finish gathering it together with your hands. Gently work the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film, and chill for 45 mins. Now mix the 140g/5oz sugar, the cinnamon and flour for the filling in a bowl that is large enough to take the apples later.
• After the pastry has chilled, heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Cut off a third of the pastry and keep it wrapped while you roll out the rest, and use this to line a pie tin - 20-22cm round and 4cm deep - leaving a slight overhang. Roll the remaining third to a circle about 28cm in diameter. Pat the apples dry with kitchen paper, and tip them into the bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Give a quick mix with your hands and immediately pile high into the pastry-lined tin.
• Brush a little water around the pastry rim and lay the pastry lid over the apples pressing the edges together to seal. Trim the edge with a sharp knife and make 5 little slashes on top of the lid for the steam to escape. (Can be frozen at this stage.) Brush it all with the egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake for 40-45 mins, until golden, then remove and let it sit for 5-10 mins. Sprinkle with more sugar and serve while still warm from the oven with softly whipped cream.

PUFF PASTRY APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180 Fan/Gas 6.
• Heat the apples, 50g/2oz of the caster sugar, the butter and 3 tablespoons of water in a saucepan over a medium heat. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring well, then cover and reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering. Continue to simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the apple has softened.
• Remove the lid and stir well, then cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the apple has completely broken down to a purée. Taste the purée and stir in more sugar as needed, then remove the purée from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Place one sheet of puff pastry onto a baking tray lightly greased with butter. Lay the slices of marzipan on top of the pastry to cover, leaving a border of 2cm/1in all the way around.
• Spread the cooled apple purée over the layer of marzipan, then brush the pastry border with a little of the beaten egg.
• Fold the second sheet of puff pastry in half lengthways, then carefully score the pastry from the folded side towards the cut side at 1cm/½in intervals down the length of the pastry, leaving 2cm/1in intact at the cut side of the pastry.
• Unfold the scored pastry and lay it exactly on top of the apple-covered pastry, then crimp the edges to seal the two sheets of pastry using your fingers.
• Trim the edges of the pastry and brush the top of the Bramley apple slice all over with the remaining beaten egg. Sprinkle the top with demerara sugar, then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry has risen and is crisp and golden-brown.
• Allow to cool slightly before serving, serve with the clotted cream.

DEEP-FILLED BRAMLEY APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Tip the sultanas into a bowl with the brandy, microwave on high until warm and plump, then set aside. If the pastry is in two blocks, squish it together, then cut off a third and set aside. Roll out the rest of the pastry into a large circle, about the thickness of a £1 coin. Use it to line a 23cm shallow springform cake tin, making sure that it overhangs the rim all the way round. place in the fridge.
• Tip the apples into the bowl with the sultanas, all but 2 tbsp of the sugar and the spices. Toss everything well to coat the apple. Roll out the rest of the pastry, then cut into a circle, using the base of the tin as a guide. Using your fingers, arrange the apple slices in the cake tin. Cover the apples with the circle of pastry and tuck down the sides. Brush the lid with egg, then fold back and pinch the overhang to seal. Brush the top generously with egg, then pierce 2 slits in the top and scatter on the remaining sugar.
• Bake for 30-35 mins until golden. Leave to cool in its tin for a good hour, until the bottom is cool enough to touch. Run a knife around the pie's edge, then open the side of the tin and remove the pie. Serve sliced with ice cream or clotted cream.