Apple and Blackberry Pie
What better way to enjoy the bounty of September, than 
in this delicious pie? Instructions are given for homemade puff pastry, and it is well worth the extra effort.

Ingredients:

Rough puff pastry (See page 32)
½ a lemon
4 medium apples
brown sugar
a handful of blackberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla essence


Method:

1.First make the pastry dough (as described in accompanying recipe).

2. Squeeze the lemon into a bowl of cold water. Peel and core the apples, and chop them into thick slices. Put them in the lemon water to stop them from browning.

3. Grease a 9" (23cm) pie dish. Roll out half the pastry dough into a large circle, and place in the dish. Trim the edge.

4. Drain the apples and pile into the pie dish, mounding them up in the centre. Add the blackberries, and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla essence.

5. Roll out the remaining dough into another circle. Wet the edges of the pastry in the pie dish and place the pastry circle on top. Trim the edges.

6. Seal the edges with the back of a knife and your thumb as shown in the diagram on the right.

7. Cut two slits in the top of the pie, and use any excess pastry to make leaves, flowers, blackberries, etc. They can be stuck to the pie with a little water.

8. Bake in a hot oven (375ºF, Gas Mark 5) for 20 - 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Rough Puff Pastry

Ingredients:

8 oz (225 g) plain flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
5oz (150 g) butter or margarine, cut into chunks
Cold water (approx.¼ pint, 150 ml)

1. Sift the flour and baking powder into a medium-sized bowl. Add the salt.

2. Cut and stir the butter or margarine into the flour with a knife, without rubbing in.

3. Add the water and mix to make a stiff lumpy dough.

4. Turn onto a floured surface and roll out into a narrow strip (diagram 1). Sprinkle with flour and fold into three (diagrams 2 and 3), then turn one of the open ends towards you. Roll out again. Do this three times in all.
After the third time the dough should be quite smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

 

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