Where shall one begin with a cranky, tiny old oven and a rusty pair of hands?
I shall start with apple pies. Crispy and crusty on the outside, sweet, juicy and flavourful inside...
Ingredients (makes one medium (9") plus one small (6") pies):
- Filling - 10 Fuji apples, 250g sugar (medium sweet), 50g butter, 1 table spoon (optional) lemon juice
- Pie Crust - 200g flour, 100g butter, 10g sugar, pinch of salt, 1 egg
- Crumble - 200g flour, 200g butter (enough for lots of crumble on top!)
To prepare pie filling, core apples and cut into small or medium size cubes;
- Cook the cubed apples with all other ingredients in 1. above, bring to boil; turn down the fire till the apples caramalise (Note: as Fujis are in itself juicy, do not add water);
- For the pie crust, mix flour and butter with hand, till fluffy and soft, add the egg to consolidate the mixture into a ball of dough;
- Wrap the dough in cling wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes;
- Pre-heat oven to 160 to 180 degree C / gas mark 5-6 (different ovens vary in heat);
- Cut the dough into 2/3 and 1/2 (for medium and small pies), scatter some flour on a clean table top and roll each as evenly as possible, then place it on the pie pan and mould into shape;
- Put in the caramalised apple filling;
- Mix ingredients in 3. above, i.e. butter and flour into crumbly bits and spread it on top of the pies;
- Bake for approx. 30 to 40 minutes.
