American Style Apple Pie

Recipe (by Garth McColgan found at Aldi leaflet)

For the pastry:

• 225g plain flour
• 45g caster sugar
• 100g butter (cold and cut into 1cm pieces)
• zest of half lemon
• 1 egg yolk
• 3-4 tbsp water
• pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 6 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and cut into thin slices)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp demerara sugar

For glaze topping:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp water

For lemon syrup:

• 20ml lemon juice
• 60ml water
• 20g caster sugar

Pastry:

1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl
2. Add the sugar, salt and zest and mix well with finger tips
3. Bit-by-bit using your finger tips work the butter into the flour mix to form a crumb-like texture
4. Add the egg yolk and the water mixing all the time until the mixture comes together in a ball (mine was sticky)
5. Wrap in a cling firm and leave in the fridge for 30min to chill
6. Cut the pastry into two, lightly flour the surface and roll out pastry not thicker than 1/4cm to fit a 23cm pie tin/plate
7. Reserve the other sheet for the top of the pie

Filling:

1. Prepare the apples and lemon zest as above
2. Put into large bowl with the sugar and cinnamon and toss
3. Spread the sliced apple mixture evently around the base
4. Top with the remaining sheet of pastry, tuck it in at the sides and trim with a sharp knife (I just folded it)
5. To glaze, mix the egg yolk and water together and, using pastry brush (which I don't have so I just used a spoon) spread the mixture evenly on top of the sliced apple mixture
6. Bake in pre-heated oven at 190°C / Gas Mark 5 for 30-40min until cooked and golden brown on top

Lemon syrup:

1. Put the lemon juice, water and sugar into a small pot and bring to the boil
2. Boil for 3-4min until sugar dissolves and serve hot or cold

It's very easy and you don't need a lot of ingredients! Enjoy!

(it's not that easy to remove first piece when the pie is hot!)