James Martin Deep Apple Pie Food

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, 4 tablespoons butter, the shortening, sugar and salt in a food processor until it looks like fine meal. Add the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in the vodka and 3 tablespoons cold water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; use the plastic to help form each half into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight. (The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature.)
• Make the filling: Peel the apples and slice 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon juice. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 15 to 18 minutes. Add the flour, heavy cream, cinnamon and salt and stir until the juices thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Roll out 1 disk of dough into a 13-inch round on a floured surface. Ease into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate. Add the filling, mounding it in the center; dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Roll out the remaining disk of dough into a 12-inch round on a floured surface. Lay the dough over the filling and press the edges together. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edge with your fingers. Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. Cut a few slits in the top crust to let steam escape. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Set a baking sheet on a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 425 degrees F. Set the pie on the hot baking sheet and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F; bake until golden, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, rotating the pie as needed for even browning. (Cover the edge with foil if it is browning too quickly.) Transfer to a rack and let cool until set, about 3 hours.

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
• Roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9- or 10-inch pie pan to extend about 1/2-inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it.
• Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits.
• Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. Serve warm.
• Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

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.

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.

JAMES MARTIN'S RUSSIAN SHARLOTKA (APPLE SPONGE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Place the caster sugar, flour and eggs into a bowl and whisk together to make a thick smooth batter.
• Grease and flour a deep baking dish and arrange all the apple slices to cover the bottom of the dish.
• Spoon the batter mixture over the top and transfer to the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes. (To check if the sponge is ready, insert a skewer into the top of the sponge, if it comes out sticky, return to the oven to cook for another 5 minutes.).