Classic apple pie

Classic apple pie

It’s right there in the name. Classic apple pie is a cornerstone of baking and is one of the most timeless dishes you can make. When you picture a pie cooling on a windowsill, it’s almost guaranteed that there’s a sweet, lightly spiced filling inside. A guaranteed hit, every time!

COOKING TIME 45 minutes + 2 hrs for chilling | SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

Pastry

350g cake flour
60g ground almonds
50g castor sugar
5ml (1 tsp) salt
250g cold unsalted butter,
finely chopped
60ml (¼ cup) cold water

Filling

185g butter
45ml (3 tbsp) castor sugar
100ml honey
2 x 100g flaked almonds
60g butter
60g sugar
13 red apples, cored and
cut into wedges
60ml (¼ cup) brandy
seeds of 2 vanilla pods
5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
1 egg white
45ml (3 tbsp) castor sugar
fresh whipped cream, to serve

METHOD

Pastry

PROCESS the flour, ground almonds, sugar, salt and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add water and process until the mixture just comes together.

DIVIDE the pastry into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other, form each into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

PREHEAT the oven to 200°C and grease a 23cm tart tin.

LIGHTLY dust a work surface with flour and roll out the larger piece of dough to 3mm thickness. Fill the tart tin, trimming off the excess and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

PRICK the pastry with a fork, cover with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind in the preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until light golden. Remove baking beans and set aside.

Filling

HEAT the butter, sugar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Cook until the mixture starts to caramelise, add the almonds and pour into the tart case.

PLACE the butter and sugar in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the sugar has melted, add the apples and leave to caramelise for 10 minutes.

ADD the brandy, vanilla and cinnamon and cook until the brandy has cooked out and sauce is syrupy, about 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over the almond layer. Set aside to cool slightly.

LIGHTLY flour a work surface and roll out the second piece of dough. Brush the sides of the cooked pastry case with the egg white, cover with the second piece of pastry and trim the excess.

USING the tip of a knife or a fork, crimp the edges together. Cut a 2cm slit in the top of the pastry, brush pastry with egg white and sprinkle generously with the castor sugar. Bake until pastry is golden, about 30 – 40 minutes.

SERVE with whipped cream.

FOOD TEAM TIP: Instead of using baking beans, try using pie weights as a reusable and more sustainable option. Alternatively, the best substitute for baking beans is to use either dried lentils or dried rice. 

Print Recipe

Classic apple pie

Dessert – British

Serves: 8

Total Time: 45 minutes + 2 hours for chilling

It's right there in the name. Classic apple pie is a cornerstone of baking, and is one of the most timeless dishes you can make. When you picture a pie cooling on a windowsill, it's almost guaranteed that there's a sweet, lightly spiced filling inside. A sure hit, every time! 

Ingredients

• Pastry
• 350g cake flour
• 60g ground almonds
• 50g castor sugar
• 5ml (1 tsp) salt
• 250g cold unsalted butter,
• finely chopped
• 60ml (¼ cup) cold water
• Filling
• 185g butter
• 45ml (3 tbsp) castor sugar
• 100ml honey
• 2 x 100g flaked almonds
• 60g butter
• 60g sugar
• 13 red apples, cored and
• cut into wedges
• 60ml (¼ cup) brandy
• seeds of 2 vanilla pods
• 5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
• 1 egg white
• 45ml (3 tbsp) castor sugar
• fresh whipped cream, to serve

Instructions

Pastry

1

PROCESS the flour, ground almonds, sugar, salt and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add water and process until the mixture just comes together.

2

DIVIDE the pastry into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other, form each into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

3

PREHEAT the oven to 200°C and grease a 23cm tart tin.

4

LIGHTLY dust a work surface with flour and roll out the larger piece of dough to 3mm thickness. Fill the tart tin, trimming off the excess and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

5

PRICK the pastry with a fork, cover with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind in the preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until light golden. Remove baking beans and set aside.

Filling

6

HEAT the butter, sugar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Cook until the mixture starts to caramelise, add the almonds and pour into the tart case.

7

PLACE the butter and sugar in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the sugar has melted, add the apples and leave to caramelise for 10 minutes.

8

ADD the brandy, vanilla and cinnamon and cook until the brandy has cooked out and sauce is syrupy, about 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over the almond layer. Set aside to cool slightly.

9

LIGHTLY flour a work surface and roll out the second piece of dough. Brush the sides of the cooked pastry case with the egg white, cover with the second piece of pastry and trim the excess.

10

USING the tip of a knife or a fork, crimp the edges together. Cut a 2cm slit in the top of the pastry, brush pastry with egg white and sprinkle generously with the castor sugar. Bake until pastry is golden, about 30 – 40 minutes.

11

SERVE with whipped cream.

Notes

FOOD TEAM TIP: Instead of using baking beans, try using pie weights as a reusable and more sustainable option. Alternatively, the best substitute for baking beans is to use either dried lentils or dried rice. 

Made this Classic apple pie recipe? Tag us @foodandhomesa #CookingWithFH on Instagram!

ALSO SEE: Apple & berry pie

Apple & berry pie