Apple Pie

Ingredients:
FOr the crust-
2 1/2 cups Plain flour (maida),
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes,
1/2 cup Castor sugar,
2 eggs,
1 tbsp milk,
A pinch of salt,
Castor sugar to sprinkle on the pie,
Ice cold water for kneading the dough.

For the filling-
8 large apples; peeled, deseeded and evenly sliced,
Juice of 1 lemon,
3 tbsp flour,
2 tbsp unsalted butter,
1/2 cup caster sugar,
1 tsp ground cinnamon (dalchini),
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (jaiphal).

Other-
Baking Pie plate.

Method:
To prepare the crust-
Sift flour and salt, combine sugar with it and stir. Add the butter cubes to it and use a blunt knife to cut them into the flour and mix the flour with your hands. Add ice cold water in small quantities and mix the flour. Knead the flour together to form a soft dough. Now knead this dough for 5-7 minutes by pulling the portions of dough and rubbing with your fingers. Now wrap this dough with a cling film or a damp muslin cloth for 40 minutes. Now divide the dough into 2 potions. Roll one portion in a round that is about 12 inches in diameter. Now place this pie crust in the pie plate carefully so that the dough fits well in the plate and use a knife to scrape out the extra dough from the edges of the plate. Place this plate into the refrigerator until you prepare the filling. Roll the other portion and refrigerate it separately.

To prepare the filling-
Place the apple slices in a plate and sprinkle lemon juice over them and spread well. This would prevent them from discoloring. Heat a pan, add butter and let it melt.Reduce the flame and then add flour and mix well to form a paste. Then add sugar and let the sugar melt. Put off the flame, add apples, cinnamon and nutmeg powder and mix lightly so that the slices do not break.

To prepare the pie-
Preheat the oven to 180C for 15 minutes.
Remove the pie plate from the refrigerator. Spread the filling properly in this crust. Cover with the second crust, use your finger to seal the edges of the pie and make a design with the fork. Prick the fork to make small holes into the crust. Brush the pie with some milk and now place the pie plate into the oven and bake for 40 minutes or till the crust is brown.

TIP:
You can coat the pie plate with an aluminum foil to avoid the pie from baking to a dark brown color.

Published