Easy Apple Pie for a Cosy Autumn Day

This recipe focuses on simplicity and delicious autumn flavours. It’s just the ticket for a comforting treat on a nippy day here in the Western Cape!

Serves: 8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45-55 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Filling:
6-8 medium apples (a mix of sweet and tart varieties like Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or Fuji works a treat), peeled, cored, and sliced about 0.5 cm thick
65 – 100 grams caster sugar (adjust to the sweetness of your apples)
30 millilitres plain flour or cornflour
5 millilitres ground cinnamon
2.5 millilitres ground nutmeg
1.25 millilitres ground allspice (optional, for extra autumn warmth)
15 millilitres lemon juice (helps prevent browning and brightens the flavour)
30 grams unsalted butter, cut into small knobs (optional, adds richness)
For the Pastry:
Approximately 600 grams ready-made shortcrust pastry (or your favourite homemade double crust)
1 large egg, beaten with 15 millilitres milk (for egg wash, optional)
Approximately 15-30 grams demerara sugar or extra caster sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4).
Prepare the apples: In a large bowl, gently toss the sliced apples with the caster sugar, plain flour or cornflour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice (if using), and lemon juice until the apples are evenly coated.
Assemble the pie:
Unroll one portion (approximately 300 grams) of pastry and carefully place it in a 23 cm pie dish. Gently press it into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any excess dough, leaving about a 1 cm overhang.
Tip the apple filling into the pastry case, mounding it slightly in the middle.
Dot the top of the apple filling with the small knobs of butter, if using.
Unroll the second portion (approximately 300 grams) of pastry. You can either place it directly over the filling, cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape, and crimp the edges to seal with the bottom crust.
Alternatively, for a lattice top: Cut the second crust into even strips (approximately 1.5-2 cm wide). Arrange the strips in a lattice pattern over the filling, pressing the ends onto the bottom crust. Trim the edges and crimp to seal.
Bake the pie:
Brush the top crust (or lattice strips) with the egg wash, if desired.
Sprinkle with demerara sugar or extra caster sugar, if desired.
Place the pie on a baking tray (to catch any potential drips).
Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. If the crust starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent the pie with tin foil.
Cool before serving: Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2-3 hours before slicing and serving. This allows the filling to set properly.

Serving Suggestions for Autumn:

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (approximately 100-150 ml per serving).
Enjoy with a dollop of whipped cream (approximately 30-50 ml per serving) or a drizzle of custard (approximately 50-75 ml per serving).
A slice of mature cheddar cheese (approximately 25-50 grams) on the side is a classic pairing for apple pie in some parts.

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