Today has been all about perfecting that apple pie that I referred to on my first ever posting on this site on 2 June (Hello World!).
I am pretty pleased with the result and almost replicated the original from my friend. I think I had chopped the apples a little bit too big so note to self for next time to make the chunks a little smaller! Also, he had said that he used 4 Bramleys for a deep 9″ pie tin. That seemed too much in my experience as I had some apple left over that I couldn’t fit in – so another note on the recipe will be 3 Bramleys rather. But here’s the finished article:
My main difficulty in the past with apple pie is the bottom of the pastry going soggy because of the liquid released from the apples. But this time, I think it seemed to be OK. The pastry overall, a basic pate sucree recipe, was really nice so the 40 mins in a 180C oven was spot on.
The double cream finished things off nicely …
Well, I don’t like to boast, but I got to try this pie too – lucky girl that I am.
I have long considered Shirley’s mastery of pastry to complete, and this new recipe has done nothing to dispel that view. The soggy bottom challenge was avoided masterfully.
I would disagree that the apples were left too large, as they retained pleasant structure, whilst their flavours were appropriately stewed. However, I do sometimes find that my tastes veer towards the rustic, so perhaps they would be smaller in a more from ‘Farmhouse’ style to ‘patisserie’
Apple taken alone, the lemon hit was unexpected; startling even, and I wasn’t wholly sure what to make of it. Everything made sense in the next forkful though, as up against that beautiful rich pastry, the good sense in its addition shone through.
All in all a perfect pie; but please, don’t rest on your laurels. I would much prefer to keep checking that the reality is as good as the memory.