Ultimate apple pie

Ultimate apple pie

A traditional, comforting dish where simplicity is the key to success - one for all the family

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in 2½ hours

Freezable

Method

  1. Put a layer of paper towels on a large baking sheet. Quarter, core, peel and slice the apples about 5mm thick and lay evenly on the baking sheet. Put paper towels on top and set aside while you make and chill the pastry.
  2. For the pastry, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until just mixed. Break in a whole egg and a yolk (keep the white for glazing later). Beat together for just under 1 min - it will look a bit like scrambled egg. Now work in the flour with a wooden spoon, a third at a time, until it's beginning to clump up, then finish gathering it together with your hands. Gently work the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film, and chill for 45 mins. Now mix the 140g/5oz sugar, the cinnamon and flour for the filling in a bowl that is large enough to take the apples later.
  3. After the pastry has chilled, heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Cut off a third of the pastry and keep it wrapped while you roll out the rest, and use this to line a pie tin - 20-22cm round and 4cm deep - leaving a slight overhang. Roll the remaining third to a circle about 28cm in diameter. Pat the apples dry with kitchen paper, and tip them into the bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Give a quick mix with your hands and immediately pile high into the pastry-lined tin.
  4. Brush a little water around the pastry rim and lay the pastry lid over the apples pressing the edges together to seal. Trim the edge with a sharp knife and make 5 little slashes on top of the lid for the steam to escape. (Can be frozen at this stage.) Brush it all with the egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake for 40-45 mins, until golden, then remove and let it sit for 5-10 mins. Sprinkle with more sugar and serve while still warm from the oven with softly whipped cream.

695 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 95g, fat 33 g, saturated fat 20g, fibre 4g, sugar 32g, salt 0.79 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2004.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 41-60

  • Binder photo edelvassallo

    25 April 2010

    edelvassallo commented on this recipe

    i made this pie omitting all the sugar however the flour remained uncooked...perhaps it needed a few more minutes in the over. will try again using less flour and a bit of sugar.

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  • Binder photo sarah

    03 May 2010

    sarah rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Great pie everybody loved it

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  • Binder photo Little Chef Team

    13 June 2010

    Little Chef Team rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    The filling is good, but the pastry is too oily.

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  • Binder photo tilly1314

    30 July 2010

    tilly1314 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I agree with the more cinnammon and less sugar.A fantastic pie.The pastry is lovely

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  • Binder photo beckyshenton

    29 August 2010

    beckyshenton rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    Really Disappointed with the pastry, I did what it said, and put the correct amount of ingredients in, but when i pulled it out of the fridge you could see the oil around the pastry, i cooked a sample of it to make sure it was edible and it wasn't. I didn't bother finishing it off. There was to much butter in the ingredients.

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  • Binder photo T40JKD

    02 September 2010

    T40JKD commented on this recipe

    Had time off work due to an arm injury and too bored to sit around doing nothing...I have an apple tree so decided to make some apple pies (one handed!)...found this receipe on the web and I've now made it three times...really easy to make and really tasty, whether I use the full Sugar or less and use more Cinnamon or not...great pie and really tasty pastry...

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  • Binder photo Brooksy71

    06 September 2010

    Brooksy71 commented on this recipe

    After a bit of advice. If I were to swap the cinnamon for nutmeg would the quantity stay the same? Thanks

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  • Binder photo Mikki

    15 September 2010

    Mikki commented on this recipe

    LOL - After looking at the recipe I was like yippeee Cookie Dough Apple Pie I think this must have been derived from a US cookbook but anyways a couple of comments. Make the pie as described - don't follow anyone elses recipe cause thats not the recipe ur comment on - if it don;t work out adjust to suit ur own taste - Apple Pie is like that :) Make the pastry/ dough the day before and chill over night for better workabilty cookie dough can be sticky lol. I would agree wif more cinnamon in the mix but... try it this way first. To answer the last poster... I usually sprinkle nutmeg over the outside crust Cinnamon inside Nutmeg Outside :) Ohh and ... when cutting ur apples put them in water wif some lemon juice in - it will stop them going brown and makes the pie look more attractive. Dry the pieces before using and mixinf wif the cinnamon/flour sugar mix. Mikki

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  • Binder photo Mikki

    15 September 2010

    Mikki rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I give it a Six sorry I forgot to vote >.<

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  • Binder photo shalini

    24 September 2010

    shalini rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    and no blind baking needed? just the ticket. didnt have golden caster sugar, so mixed normal caster suger with some brown muscadavo that i had, and added a bit more cinnamon. it was hit, and dissappeared very fast!

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  • Binder photo Suzie

    03 October 2010

    Suzie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    My pastry went a bit funny during cooking, it sunk down around the apples, but still looks and tasted great, as i didnt look at the comments first,I used the full amount of sugar, but I do have a sweet tooth!

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  • Binder photo Ashley Sandy

    03 October 2010

    Ashley Sandy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really amazing. A bit more cinnamon for me, same amount of sugar as the cookers were very sour. Found the pastry very short and solved that by rolling out within two sheets of cling film. It was fabulous pastry when cooked! Brilliant!

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  • Binder photo daviesx4

    07 October 2010

    daviesx4 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely pie....pastry crispy, fruit plump, I scattered a few sultanas in with the apples too. A great pie and will make agan. A big hit in the Davies household

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  • Binder photo Sammie

    09 October 2010

    Sammie commented on this recipe

    I tried this receipe and was disappointed with the pastry. I followed the receipe to the letter but the pastry was incredibly flaky when rolling out. I couldn't roll it out to fit the baking tin - my husband had to do it as I lost my temper with it. Setting the pastry problem aside I found there to be too much cinnamon in it. I have changed the recipe and now use the pastry receipe from a Bakewell Tart also found on the website which I find works every time I make it. I also halved the amount of cinnamon (for my taste only).

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  • Binder photo Doozy

    17 October 2010

    Doozy commented on this recipe

    Great recipe. I have made this three tines now, making at least two pies each time. A hit with family and friends. The recommendation from Mikki above re. Using lemon juice in water after peeling and slicing the apples is great, to stop them browning. I use slightly more cinnamon and add approximately 5 cloves in the apple mix, and another 6 poked into the slits in the crust. This was something my Irish mother used to do, and the cloves give a subtle taste. I generally use white caster sugar, as I find brown sugar too rich. Another tip, for any extra pastry left over. Roll out and sprinkle with cinnamon , roll up and cut into 1 inch pieces, squeeze down into baking tray and wash with spare egg white, and a sprinkle of sugar. Bake for 20 to 30 mins. Makes great little cinnamon rolls...yum.

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  • Binder photo Doozy

    17 October 2010

    Doozy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Forgot to vote. Gave 6 stars. Deserved.

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  • Binder photo Jane

    21 October 2010

    Jane commented on this recipe

    Great recipe - less sugar, more spices make it an ideal pie for December eating !

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  • Binder photo JohnH

    29 October 2010

    JohnH rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    First time with this one was worried about the apples going brown but did not seem to make a difference everyone loved it, did exact to recipe sugar was just right. Thank You

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  • Binder photo Biz

    30 October 2010

    Biz commented on this recipe

    This Apple Pie is the Best Ever!! Well worth the effort and easy too Loved by all :-)

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  • Binder photo georga

    01 November 2010

    georga commented on this recipe

    i too have made this recipe,i needed a dessert quickly so i used some pastry for the pie base that i already had in the fridge, then used frozen puff pastry for the lid absolutely delicious served with clotted cream ,devine ! I have since done this recipe 2 or 3 times with the recommended pastry it too was gorgeous.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in 2½ hours

Freezable

Crispiest pastry, juiciest fruit

Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING

FOR THE PASTRY

  • 225g butter , room temperature
  • 50g golden caster sugar , plus extra
  • 2 eggs
  • 350g plain flour , preferably organic
  • softly whipped cream , to serve
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695 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 95g, fat 33 g, saturated fat 20g, fibre 4g, sugar 32g, salt 0.79 g

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