Apple Pie

From my favorite nigella's recipes:

KITCHEN | Books | Nigella Lawson

www.nigella.com/books/view/kitchen-33Cached - Similar

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PASTRY:

• 2 cups (220 grams) all-purpose (plain) flour
• Good pinch salt
• 5 ounces, or 10 tablespoons (145 grams) unsalted butter
• Ice water

FOR THE FILLING:

• 5 apples, any eating variety you like (e.g. 2 Macintosh, 2 Cameos, 1 Gala)
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• Ground cinnamon, to taste

FOR THE GLAZE:

• Milk
• Superfine sugar

METHOD

Serves: 6-8

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C, gas stove mark 7).
2. Make the pastry... cut the butter into small squares, and refrigerate. Measure the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter, and using a pastry cutter, blend in the butter until it resembles wet sand. Bring together, using a few tablespoons of ice water at a time, until almost totally cohesive, then work it for a bit to make it a nice dough.
3. Cut in half, and form each half into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap (clingfilm) and refrigerate till needed.
4. Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Then cut each apple quarter in half lengthways, then each of those pieces in half horizontally (to give you 16 chunks per apple). You don't have to be this precise... this is just how I find it easy to do...
5. Cover the apples directly with plastic wrap (clingfilm) to prevent browning. Place in the fridge.
6. Melt butter in a 2-quart (about 2 litre) sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add sugar, brown sugar, salt, and water; bring to a bubbly simmer. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring a lot.
7. Meanwhile, roll out your pastry and place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Sprinkle over your desired amount of cinnamon (I like a lot).
8. When the sauce is done, slowly and evenly pour it over the apples.
9. Place the top crust on, seal edges (I put a little water between the two crusts, to help them adhere), roll the excess under, and flute edges. Cut four steam slits in the top to look like a cross but don't connect at the middle. Paint the crust with the milk, and generously sprinkle over the sugar.
10. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C, gas stove mark 7). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C, gas stove mark 4), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!