Shortcrust Pastry
300gms plain flour
½ tsp salt
160gms unsalted butter cut into 1cm dice
70ml ice cold water
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
330gms plain flour
100gms icing sugar
Grated zest of ½ lemon
¼ teaspoon salt
180gms unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1 free-range egg yolk beaten
2 tbsp ice cold water
Audrey duly measured out the ingredients and explained what was needed, forgive the pun, in the process. Combine the butter into the flower by rubbing it through your fingers so that after a while you end up with a texture reminiscent of breadcrumbs, make sure you have no lumps of butter, the finer the texture the better.
She then told me to slowly add the ice-cold water, as you didn’t want to make the texture too damp. Work until dough comes together and wrap in cling film and allow to rest in the fridge for at least an hour. The dough will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or maybe a month in the freezer.
To cut a long story short we made the Mushroom Wellington with my attempt at pastry. We sat down to dinner and Audrey turned to me and I will always remember what she said, ‘Are you sure you have never made pastry before? This is the lightest, flakiest pastry I have ever tasted!’
This is the true truncated story of my emerging love of the alchemy of baking.
Now for the Autumn Apple Pie, delicious with custard, also can be transported easily for picnics, gifts, etc.
Apple Pie Filling
3 – 4 Bramley Apples peeled, cored & roughly chopped.
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
Castor sugar to taste
Pinch Cinnamon or nutmeg for Autumnal taste (not too much to overpower)
20gms unsalted butter
See above for Sweet Shortcrust Pasty recipe, can also be made with normal shortcrust pastry.
Pre heat oven at 170 C / Gas Mark 3
Sift flour and icing sugar into a bowl add lemon zest, salt. Rub ingredients with fingers and hands until you have a coarse breadcrumb texture though be absolutely sure no butter lumps remain.
Add the beaten egg yolk and the water then mix just until the dough comes together, you may need a smidgen of extra water though be careful not to make to wet.
Remove dough from the bowl and knead very lightly for not too long, just long enough to split in two. Then shape in to two discs 5 – 6cms thick you will need a top and bottom. Place in the fridge and allow to rest.
Meanwhile put roughly chopped apples in a pot along with lemon juice & water. Stir and cook quickly over fairly high heat for 5 or so minutes being careful not to scorch or burn. Add sugar, cinnamon / nutmeg & butter stir until combined the set aside to cool.
Whilst apple filling is cooling remove pastry from the fridge and on a floured surface roll out the pastry enough to cover a 20cm greased pie dish line with greaseproof paper. Cover base and sides of the tin fill with dry beans or rice enough to support sides that they won’t collapse (I always place parchment paper between the pastry and the beans / rice). Blind bake for 25 – 35 mins. Remove from the heat and take out beans / rice and allow cooling.
Once cooled add the apple mixture to the base, roll out pastry top and cover the dish. Make sure pastry top is properly sealed down usually I do with a fork. Trim of any excess pastry with a knife in a downward motion. Prick all over with a fork to allow steam to escape as exploding apple pie is neither good for you or your oven. Place pie in the oven and allow to cook for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sugar.
Enjoy hot with custard or cream, but this pie can also be enjoyed cold in a picnic with a lovely hot mug of tea or coffee.
(Reference Ottolenghi The Cookbook for pastry recipes.)
