I remember sitting round the table as a little girl whilst my granny made her famous apple tart. However, as a young child I never actually tried it!! That was a BIG mistake! But, I would make up for my late appreciation of her delectable apple pie years later.
My cousin, however, discovered the deliciousness of my gran’s apple pie at a young age. And apple pie was inevitably on the menu when my cousins came to my granny’s house for tea. In fact, my gran would make a pie for Desiree and one for everyone else!
At parties too, her pie was always the most anticipated treat. She however always claimed that it was nothing special. At 94 my gran no longer cooks or bakes. Luckily she shared her recipe with me and I am now able to replicate her delicious apple tart for my children.
Granny’s Famous Apple Pie
6
servings35
minutes1
hourIngredients
2 cups plain/pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
160g unsalted butter, cold
about 7 tbsp ice-cold water
6-8 firm, tart apples (about 1300g) – my gran always used a mix of Bramley apples and Granny Smiths
75 g granulated sugar (and a bit extra for the top of the tarts)
3 tbsp plain flour – flour dusting
25g butter, cut in small bits
Directions
- Firstly make the pastry by mixing together the 2 cups of flour and salt. Cut the 160g of butter into small pieces (about a centimetre or two).
- Then, using only your hands (make sure that they are clean!) mix the ingredients in a large bowl until the butter begins to break up.
- When the flour has picked up a little colour from the butter, add the water, a bit at a time. This is important because you might not need to use all the water. Mix until the dough starts to come together.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface until the same starts to smooth out. Wrap in cling film (plastic wrap) or waxed paper and refrigerate for around 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough in half, returning one half of the dough to the refrigerator and placing the other on a floured surface. Flatten the dough into a circle and then roll it out in a circular shape. This should be slightly larger than the pie pan you will use. The end result should be about ¼ inch in thickness.
Line the bottom of the pie pan. For tips when buying your next pie pan check out this guide.- Preheat the oven to 190℃ or 375℉.
- Peel and core the apples and slice them to about ¼ inch in thickness.
- Sprinkle the apples with about 75g of sugar. If you wish, you can also add some cinnamon at this point. I have not listed it in the ingredients as my gran never added it to her pie but I know that some people love cinnamon in their apple tarts.
- Add the apples to the centre of the prepared pie dish.
- Dot the butter around the apples.
- Roll out the remaining dough.
- Cover the pie loosely with the top crust, sealing the crusts together with a little water. Make several small air vents in the pie with a fork.
- Sprinkle a little more sugar (1 or 2 tablespoons) over the pie.
- Bake in the oven for around 1 hour or until golden brown.
So Delicious!
This apple pie is delicious served warm, on its own or with custard, or cold with a good quality vanilla ice cream.
Be sure to check out our other delicious recipes in our food section.
