School has been back for a week or so, nursery too. I have been back at work for a week and the familiarity of hectic mornings, being super organised are slowly creeping back (along with forgotten mobile phones, school books, thermos full of coffee etc…).
I am also remembering how to savour the down times, spend a little time with the 3 kids, and getting my subjective hat on to work out how to discuss complicated topics such as ‘do dinosaurs speak french?’ and ‘I can’t go to bed, I’m allergic to sleep’. Then realise I have to prepare dinner and plan the school lunches for the next day. I love cooking all the time, but when forced too I realise I am cooking ALL the time. I must admit I do like a freezer full of back ups and kids snacks and meals so a lot of it is my own doing.
So on the weekend I am finding ways of preparing a special family meal usually on Saturdays, and this includes dessert, usually of the ‘comfort’ variety. This is the relaxing kind of cooking and even better when a little person is there to help with cracking eggs and sifting flour.
I was given the most wonderful cookbook by my in laws for my birthday recently. It is called the Monday Morning Cooking Club, a fabulous collection of recipes put together by a group of women with the hope of preserving and remembering old family recipes. It has soared straight into my top 5 cookbooks!
The recipes are not necessarily from their cultural background (although lots of them are), but are tried and true family recipes that have been passed down. And they are all very delicious!
The first time I cooked this pie, it was for my mum who had been telling me on a recent visit to Australia, for at least a week straight every meal after dinner, that all she felt like was a piece of apple pie. Coincidentally I was given this truly lovely book and there it was, apple pie. I have now cooked this recipe few times and (through accidental forgetting the apples on the stove), I have adapted this recipe to one that I would love to be a favourite for my family.
It is this kind of food that, when cooked with good ingredients and with care, it sure to fill anyones family recipe collection. This is recipe given to me by family, written by family and I have only ever made it so far for family. Yes, a bit corny…
Give it a go, it is a once cook pie, no blind baking and it uses a clever technique of creating a waterproof absorption layer at the bottom to avoid the apples making the bottom soggy. My only comment on this recipe is that I find this pastry a bit tricky but VERY good once cooked (if not a little rustic looking), feel free to substitute a different shortcrust recipe if you have a favourite (I do love Maggie Beers sour cream pastry recipe) but PLEASE don’t use store bought – its quicker and easier and cheaper to make than going to the shops and buying it!!! I promise!!!
- For the Apples
- 1.4 kg granny smith apples, about 9 or 10 medium
- 60g unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pastry
- 180g plain flour
- 120g cold unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons cream or full fat milk
- Filling
- ½ cup ground almonds
- ⅓ cup caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons jam, strawberry or apricot
- 1 egg white
- 1 egg for glazing
- To prepare the apples, peel and core and chop into either chunky slices or 2cm chunks. Coat all the apples with cinnamon and vanilla.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and place half the apples and brown sugar and place a lid on the pan and simmer on low heat for about 15-20 minutes until apples are very soft and only just holding together. Take the lid off and cook for a further 5 minutes until virtually no juices left.
- Toss through the uncooked apples and set aside to cool.
- To prepare the pastry, place flour and butter in a food processor and blitz until resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the egg yolk and start with 1 tablespoon of the cream.
- Pulse until the pastry forms a ball, if you think it needs more, add the extra tablespoon of cream.
- Flatten the pastry to a disc and cover with cling film and refrigerate for about an hour until firm.
- Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
- Grease and flour a 23cm pie dish or springform tin.
- Cut the pastry in half.
- On a lightly floured cool surface, roll the pastry out until 2-3mm thick, very carefully place into bottom of pie tin. Easiest way to do this is roll the pastry back into the rolling pin and then unroll over the tin.
- To make the filling, combine the almonds, and sugar.
- Spread the jam over the bottom of the pie and then sprinkle all the nut and sugar mix.
- Fill the dish with the cooked and uncooked apple mix.
- Roll out the second half of pastry and place over the top of the pie.
- Pinch the edges to seal and brush with an egg.
- Cook in the oven for 45 minutes until golden.
- Serve with cold vanilla ice cream
