Blackberry & Apple pie

You really should make a Blackberry & Apple Pie this weekend (today’s Apple Day, y’know).

Everyone thinks they make the best blackberry and apple pie.  Well, they don’t……Ange who used to work with in our kitchens, does.

Her secret is to caramelise the apples in butter and spiced sugar first.  And see if you can spot her clever way to avoid getting a soggy bottom.

 

Serves 6-8

• 50g unsalted butter
• 2 large Bramley Apples, peeled, cored and cut into 10 wedges each
• 5 Cox’s apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
• 3 tbsp golden caster sugar mixed with 1tsp missed spice
• 1 quantity suet pastry (see separate recipe below)
• 150g blackberries
• 1 free range egg, lightly beaten to glaze

For sprinkling: 1tbsp golden caster sugar mixed with ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Melt half the butter in a shallow pan over a medium heat. When the butter is hot and bubbling, add half the Bramley and Cox’s apples and cook until golden and almost tender, turning once to cook the other side.  Add half the spiced sugar and cook until the mixture starts to caramelise.  Pour the apples into a dish and cook the remaining apples in the same way with the rest of the butter and spiced sugar.  When complete, put the apples to one side and leave to cool.

(The reason we don’t do all the apples at once is because it’s very difficult to get good, even caramelization if you overcrowd the pan.)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.  Roll out half the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick.  Line a shallow 26cm pie dish with the pastry, trimming off any excess around the edges using a sharp knife.  Tip the cooled apples into the lined pie dish, and sprinkle with the blackberries.

Brush the edge of the pastry with the beaten egg.  Roll out the other half of the pastry and lay it over the top of the pie.  Trim the edges and crimp them together with your fingers.  Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg, sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar and make a couple of slashes in the top of the pastry.

Place the pie on a baking tray and then put it directly on the bottom of the oven.  Cook for 55-60 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Serve with clotted cream, ice  cream or custard.

 

Suet pastry recipe (makes about 750g)

• 400g plain flour
• a pinch of salt
• 200g suet
• About 120-150ml milk

Put the flour and salt into a bowl and stir in the suet.  Gradually stir in enough milk to make a fairly stiff dough – be sure to add it very slowly or you might find the mixture has suddenly become saturated.  If this does happen mix in a little extra flour.

Turn the pastry out on to a lightly floured board and knead for a couple of minutes, until smooth – you can treat this pastry more firmly than ones made with butter.  Wrap in clingfilm and chill for about 30 minutes before use.