This apple pie is my grandma’s recipe and always reminds me of autumn and spending time with family. At this time of year, apples are abundant, and if you’re lucky like us, you might be able to pick them for free in local orchards or gardens (ask around!). Many of the apples growing in people’s gardens are quite green and sharp, making them excellent for cooking. So instead of heading to your local supermarket, why not see if any of your neighbours are willing to share their crop with you? We have permission to pick apples from trees on University property – the decidedly grey Scottish weather is made better only by the prospect of free apples!
This pie is very simple and forgiving, and tastes delicious for days after baking. You could experiment with the recipe by adding raisins or more spices in the topping – the only thing I would beware of is over-steaming the apples. I looked away for 5 minutes and in that time my apples turned into apple sauce! The pastry base can also be a little bit temperamental, but in order to get the right consistency you can adjust the amount of oil and egg to make the dough less crumbly. If it won’t roll-out, just press the dough into the pan and no one will know the difference.
Cost: about £1.50 if you pick your apples for free
Ingredients:
For the base:
- 400g flour
- 150g cold butter
- 150g sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For the apple topping:
- 1 kg apples
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a large baking dish and line with baking paper
- To make the pastry base, rub cold cubes of butter into the flour and sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs
- Mix in the oil and eggs, baking powder and salt and shape into a ball. If the dough is too crumbly, add a bit of oil
- Let the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes
- Peel, core and cut the apples into eighths, then put them into a large pot with approximately 3 Tablespoons of water
- Steam the apples on low-medium heat until the water has evaporated (approximately 10 minutes)
- Add the cinnamon and sugar and allow the apples to cool
- When the dough has rested, take it out of the fridge, and use a rolling pin to roll out 3/4 of it in the shape of your dish/pan
- Press the dough into the baking dish and use a fork to make light indentations in the top
- Bake the pastry base in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then take it out and lay the apples on top
- Either use the remaining 1/4 of the dough to roll out strips to make a lattice, or crumble/grate the dough over the top of the cake
- Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown.
– Kasia
The Conscious Student 