(Photography: Tim Roberts, styl;ing: Lucy Busuttil, Recipes: Jessica Brook)
There’s nothing quite like the comforting aroma of a freshly baked apple pie wafting through the kitchen; it’s a recipe that feels like home. This classic dessert, lovingly passed down through generations, is a reminder of family gatherings, Sunday lunches, and special occasions where one slice was never enough. With a buttery, flaky crust and tender spiced apples baked to perfection, Grandma’s apple pie is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Whether you serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or enjoy it cold the next day (if there’s any left!), this timeless treat will always bring smiles to the table.
Ingredients
Method
For pastry, combine water and vinegar in a small bowl and refrigerate. Put flour, salt and sugar in a medium bowl and toss with a fork to mix evenly. Add butter to flour mixture. Using fingers, dust butter in flour mixture.
Add water mixture to flour mixture, a few tablespoons at a time, and mix with a fork until a rough dough forms (add more cold water if needed). Use hands to quickly bring the dough together (don’t overwork it).
Divide dough in half. Flatten into discs. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. In a large bowl, combine apple, sugars, flour, arrowroot, cinnamon, ginger, lemon zest and vanilla and toss to coat evenly.
Remove dough from fridge and set aside for 5 minutes to bring to room temperature. On a floured surface, roll one disc into a 30cm x 30cm square, 3mm thick. Cut pastry square into 12 strips, each 2.5cm wide. Roll out remaining pastry to a 30cm disc, 5mm thick. Refrigerate pastry strips. Lay pastry disc in the base of a 20cm round (base measurement) 4.5cm deep pie tin.
Sprinkle extra arrowroot over the pastry in the pie tin. Use a slotted spoon to spoon in the apple filling, discarding any excess juices at the bottom of the bowl. Use the pastry strips to make a lattice pattern on top of the filling. Press the edges to seal, trim any excess pastry, then crimp around the pie’s edge with a fork. Brush top with egg and sprinkle with sugar.
Put pie on a baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes. Reduce oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan-forced. Bake for a further 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and juices are bubbling around the edge. Set aside at room temperature for at least 3 hours or overnight to cool. Serve with ice cream.
Should you cook apples before putting them in a pie?
You don’t have to cook apples before putting them in a pie, many traditional recipes use them raw for a fresher flavour and firmer texture. However, pre-cooking helps release excess liquid, ensures even softness, and deepens the flavour. A handy middle ground is tossing apple slices with sugar, letting them sit to draw out juices, then thickening the liquid before adding it back to the filling.
