Apple and strawberry pie
Short and buttery, floral and sweet, this apple and strawberry pie is always a hit.
Serves: 8
For the shortcrust pastry
Ingredients:
• 300g plain flour
• 150g self-raising flour
• 250g cold unsalted butter, finely diced
• 150g caster sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 4 egg yolks
For the pie filling
• 7 Granny Smith apples (about 850g), peeled
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 500g strawberries, washed, hulled, halved
• Icing sugar for dusting
• Vanilla ice-cream, to serve
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Pulse the flours, butter and sugar 5 or 6 times in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Whisk the vanilla bean paste, egg yolks and 2 tablespoons cold water together with a fork. Add to the flour mixture and pulse 3 or 4 times, or until the pastry just starts to come together.
3. Tip the pastry into a bowl and bring it together with your hands to make a smooth ball. The trick here is to gather it all up and bind it without overworking it. Divide the pastry in half, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. To make the pie filling quarter the apples then core and cut into rough pieces. Put in a large saucepan over medium heat, sprinkle with the caster sugar and 2 tablespoons water then cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the lid, increase the heat to high and continue cooking for a few more minutes, or until the apple has absorbed all of the juices in the pan. The fruit should only be half cooked. Remove the pan from the heat, add the strawberries and set aside to cool.
6. Roll each piece of pastry between two sheets of baking paper into a 30cm-32 cm round. Peel the top sheet of baking paper from 1 pastry round and put the pastry on to a large baking tray. Spoon the cooled fruit over the pastry base, leaving a 3cm border.
7. Peel the top sheet of baking paper from the other pastry round and carefully place the pastry lid over the pie. Remove the baking paper then fold over the edge of the pastry to enclose the pie and seal the edges together using your fingers or a fork. Prick the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is light golden. Dust with icing sugar while still warm and serve with ice-cream. It's also delicious cold the next day.
Written by Anna Gare from Stuff.co.nz.
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