So this particular day I just wanted that personal chef to whip me up an apple pie. Not sure why that was my craving that day but I did remember seeing a recipe for an apple pie slice. I know what you're thinking "What the? Apple pie? Has M gone completely mad, she isn't lusting chocolate for once?". Well I do branch out sometimes, especially when these cravings hit.
The book this comes from was given to me by B for my birthday. I should have made up a reason as to why I had to make it as I know B will be wondering where her sample was. It is from The Australian Women's Weekly - The Cake Stall. For AWW fans, this book is a must for your collection. It has so many delightful old school recipes that bring back childhood memories like butterfly cupcakes, boiled chocolate cake and even the good old neenish tart with mock cream. I have made a couple of things from the book already that you may seen if you're a regular M & B follower like the 'Rhubarb custard tea cake' which seems to be very popular with you out there at the moment and another is the "Chocolate chiffon cake", which was devine.
This recipe does involve making your own pastry so before you all throw your hands up and pass on it I will confess that I actually had to bin my first batch and make a second. I knew from just the feel and look of my first batch that it was going to be tough and awful. Just remember to be very light on with the handling and think of it as a new born baby that has just been handed to you for the first time!
You will need:
8 medium apples (1.5kg)
2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) water
2 tablespoons white sugar
pastry
3 cups (450g) self-raising flour
1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar
125g (4 ounces) cold butter, chopped coarsely
1 egg, beaten lightly
1/2 cup (125ml) milk, approximately
passionfruit icing
1 1/2 cups (240g) icing sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) passionfruit pulp, approximately
Peel, quarter and core apples, slice thickly.
Place apples, caster sugar and water in large saucepan, cover, bring to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer about 10 minutes or until the apples are just tender. Mine took about 15 minutes, just stir them a couple of times during this cooking process.
Gently turn the apple mixture into a large colander or strainer to drain, cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees/400 F. Grease 20 cm x 30 cm (8 inch x 12 inch) rectangular pan, line base and long sides with baking paper, extending paper about 5 cm over sides.
To make the pastry, sift flour and icing sugar into a large bowl.
Make a well in the centre, using a knife "cut" combined egg and enough milk ( did add about 3 extra tablespoons of milk ) through flour mixture to make a soft dough. Remember you only need to do this a few times......the less you handle the better.
Roll two-thirds of the pastry on floured surface (I just did this between two baking pieces of paper as I found it easy to lift into the tray) until large enough to line base and sides of pan, with 1 cm extending over the sides. Lift pastry into the pan.
Spread cold apple mixture into pastry case, brush edges with a little extra milk.
Roll out remaining pastry until large enough to generously cover pie. Place over filling, press edges together to seal. Trim excess pastry around edges. Brush top with a little milk, sprinkle with white sugar. Slash about six holes in the pastry.
Bake pie for 45 minutes. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Lift out gently onto wired rack to cool.
To make the passionfruit icing, sift icing sugar into medium heatproof bowl, stir in enough of the passionfruit pulp to make a thick paste.
I used 3 whole passionfruit to make 1/4 cup. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water, stir icing until spreadable.
Serve slice cut into squares. Serves 8.......well 5 in this house!!!
YUM! M x
