Hi Everyone!
Okay so after doing a shit tonne of baking the past few months, I’ve noticed a trend I dislike about recipe blogs – that everyone posts their life story before actually getting into the recipe. So here is the recipe, without all the fluff and filler that you don’t care about.
Also, if you aren’t a huge fan of pie (like I’m not), I can guarantee you will still love this one! If you give it a go, please tag me on Instagram (@kimberlyrose_xo)! I’d love to see your photos!
This recipe requires three parts: the pastry, the apple filling and the crumble topping. If you like you can skip the crumble topping and just make it a normal pie, but i prefer the crunch of a crumble topping. The pastry recipe makes enough for a top and bottom layer for the pie, however you can freeze the leftovers for 2 months or use it to make a quiche! (I’ll have my mini quiche recipe using this pastry up next week).
Pastry
- 2 1/2 cups plain or all-purpose flour – plus extra for dusting/rolling (I store my flour in the freezer, I recommend doing this for an hour or 2 prior as it helps to prevent the butter from melting)
- 225g (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter – very cold
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar – (this recipe makes an all rounder pastry that can be used in savoury or sweet pies. If you decide to use this crust for the topping as well, feel free to add more sugar. However, I highly recommend sticking to this recipe if you intend on using the crumble topping as otherwise the pie will end up being too sweet)
- 6 – 8 tbsp ice water
- Mix all dry ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl.
- Grate the butter – yes you read that right. It makes rubbing it into the flour 10x quicker and easier.
- Rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles sand. If the butter begins to melt, pop the bowl into the freezer for 10 minutes. If the butter ends up melting, you wont get the flaky pastry we’re looking for. You want to be able to see specks of butter throughout the dough.
- Add water and mix with your hands. The dough will look incredibly dry, however it should be! When it comes together when you squeeze some dough in your hand, its hydrated enough,
- Pour the dough out onto a clean work surface and bring together into a smooth ball. Don’t overwork the dough, otherwise it will become tough. It’s okay if the dough ball has cracks in it.
- Separate the dough into two disks – ensure you keep them round and flat to make rolling them out easier. Wrap in cling wrap and pop in the fridge for at least one hour (or up to 48 hours). You will only need one of these dough balls for this recipe, so feel free to pop the other one into the freezer for up to 2 months.
Filling
- 1/2 cup caster or granulated sugar
- 1/2 – 1 tsp ground cinnamon (depending on your preference)
- 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
- 5-6 large Granny Smith apples
- 115g (1 stick) unsalted butter
- Peel, core and slice the apples. I like my apples about 1/2 cm thick but you can cut them to whatever thickness you prefer.
- Toss apples with sugar and spices.
- Melt half of the butter in a wide frying pan (not a pot – this is important!) and add half of the apple mixture. Cook, on medium – high heat, stirring occasionally until the butter and sugar in the apples turn a deep golden colour. Don’t let it get too dark, as it will continue to caramelize when it bakes in the pie. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the rest of the apples and butter. Allow to cool.
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup plain or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 115g (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and chopped (you can grate this if you like, but there isn’t that much butter to rub in. Do whatever you feel like).
- Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a medium sized bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles sand.
Putting It Together
- Take your dough out 15 – 20 minutes ahead of time to allow it to soften. Preheat your oven to 230 degrees celsius (450F). Grease your pie dish well with unsalted butter – don’t skip this step! Be liberal with it, you don’t want your pastry crust to stick. Place it on a well floured surface. Grab your rolling pin and give the dough a few hard whacks to thin it out a little – this makes the rolling process a lot easier.
- Roll your dough out into a circle, ensuring its large enough to fit your pie dish – you want a bit of overhang over the sides of the dish. Don’t worry if the dough cracks at all, this crust is very forgiving. You can easily patch any cracks up with leftover dough.
- I roll my dough out to the thickness of a 50c (Australian) coin – or about 1/8 inch. Roll the dough onto your rolling pin and place it into your pie dish. Press it into the dish and trim any excess.
- Fill with the apple mixture. Don’t worry if it looks like there’s too much liquid in the apples, it will thicken up and become a caramel while it bakes.
- Top with the crumble, ensuring its spread evenly over the pie. Don’t press it down! You want it to be rough as that’s how you get the crunchy bits!
- Pop your pie into the oven, bake at 230 degrees Celsius (450F) for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350F) and bake for 35-45 minutes, depending on your oven. The crumble should have a golden brown colour all over.
- Allow to cool before cutting. I know it’s super tempting to dig in straight away, however it will completely fall apart if you cut it whilst its too hot. If you have the time, refrigerate it overnight and cut into slices the next day whilst its cold, then your slices will hold together perfectly.
- Enjoy!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or send me a message on Instragram – @kimberlyrose_xo.
If you try this recipe, please send me photos on instragram! I’d love to see them!
Love,
Kimberly Xo
KimberlyRose 