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For the sweet pie pastry
8oz/225 g soft butter
10oz/280 g caster sugar
1lb 4oz/550 g strong white flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
9floz/250 ml double cream
* Mix the butter and sugar together in a bowl with a wooden spoon.
* Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together.
* Add half of the flour mix to the butter and sugar and mix again with a wooden spoon until a smooth paste is formed, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
* Add the rest of the flour and bring to a “breadcrumb stage” by mixing. Pour the double cream into the mixture and mix to make a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before rolling. (Alternatively you can by good quality sweet pastry in a supermarket.)
For the filling
5oz/150 g butter
1 vanilla pod
7oz/200 g caster sugar
4 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and diced
4 Cox’s apples, peeled, cored and diced
* Put the butter in a saucepan and place over a moderate heat. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the butter, adding the caster sugar (may need to add more depending on sweetness of the apples).
* Add a third of the diced apples (mixed together) and cook until soft, then add another third, again cooking until soft. The mixture should begin to appear like a puree. Finally add the remaining apples and cook until soft.
* Take the mixture off the heat before the last lot of diced apples lose their cubed shape. As a nice addition you can throw in a handful of soaked raisins at this stage.
To assemble the pie
* Grease and sugar 6 little apple pie tins or muffin tins. Roll out the dough to about ½ cm thick. Cut a round disk for the base and a smaller disk to fit the top of the pie tin (you will want to make it a bit bigger than the top of the tin). Cut a small hole in the middle of the lid to allow the steam to escape when cooking.
* Take the base and line the tin (making sure you press the dough into the corners of the tin). Fill the lined pie base with the apple mixture, almost to the top. Place the pastry lid on top.
* Using your thumb press the edge of the lid on to the top of the base (this is called crimping). Glaze the pies with an egg white beaten with 1tbsp caster sugar.
* Rest the pies in the fridge for 20 minutes.
* Preheat to 180C/350F/Gas4. Bake the pies for 12 - 14 minutes, until the pastry is set and just beginning to colour.
* Turn the pies out of the tin once they have cooled a little but are still warm. (If you turn the pies out when they are too hot they may collapse.)
8oz/225 g soft butter
10oz/280 g caster sugar
1lb 4oz/550 g strong white flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
9floz/250 ml double cream
* Mix the butter and sugar together in a bowl with a wooden spoon.
* Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together.
* Add half of the flour mix to the butter and sugar and mix again with a wooden spoon until a smooth paste is formed, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
* Add the rest of the flour and bring to a “breadcrumb stage” by mixing. Pour the double cream into the mixture and mix to make a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before rolling. (Alternatively you can by good quality sweet pastry in a supermarket.)
For the filling
5oz/150 g butter
1 vanilla pod
7oz/200 g caster sugar
4 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and diced
4 Cox’s apples, peeled, cored and diced
* Put the butter in a saucepan and place over a moderate heat. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the butter, adding the caster sugar (may need to add more depending on sweetness of the apples).
* Add a third of the diced apples (mixed together) and cook until soft, then add another third, again cooking until soft. The mixture should begin to appear like a puree. Finally add the remaining apples and cook until soft.
* Take the mixture off the heat before the last lot of diced apples lose their cubed shape. As a nice addition you can throw in a handful of soaked raisins at this stage.
To assemble the pie
* Grease and sugar 6 little apple pie tins or muffin tins. Roll out the dough to about ½ cm thick. Cut a round disk for the base and a smaller disk to fit the top of the pie tin (you will want to make it a bit bigger than the top of the tin). Cut a small hole in the middle of the lid to allow the steam to escape when cooking.
* Take the base and line the tin (making sure you press the dough into the corners of the tin). Fill the lined pie base with the apple mixture, almost to the top. Place the pastry lid on top.
* Using your thumb press the edge of the lid on to the top of the base (this is called crimping). Glaze the pies with an egg white beaten with 1tbsp caster sugar.
* Rest the pies in the fridge for 20 minutes.
* Preheat to 180C/350F/Gas4. Bake the pies for 12 - 14 minutes, until the pastry is set and just beginning to colour.
* Turn the pies out of the tin once they have cooled a little but are still warm. (If you turn the pies out when they are too hot they may collapse.)