Old-Fashioned Apple Pie with Shortcrust
Tender spiced Tasmanian apples baked inside a golden, buttery double shortcrust pastry. A comforting Huon Valley family favourite.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Equipment
- •23 cm pie dish
- •Rolling pin
- •Mixing bowl
- •Pastry brush
- •Apple peeler
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 52 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 4 g
- calories
- 380 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub chilled butter into plain flour and 50 g caster sugar until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- 2
Add iced water gradually, pressing the dough together gently with your hands until a smooth ball forms.
- 3
Divide pastry into two portions, wrap in baking paper, and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- 4
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and place a heavy baking tray inside to heat up.
- 5
Toss sliced apples with remaining caster sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornflour in a large bowl.
- 6
Roll out one pastry portion on a lightly floured bench and press gently into a 23 cm pie dish.
- 7
Pack the seasoned apple slices into the pastry base, mounding them slightly higher towards the centre.
- 8
Roll out the second pastry portion, drape over the fruit, and trim and crimp the edges firmly to seal.
- 9
Cut three steam vents in the top crust, brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
- 10
Place the pie onto the hot baking tray and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
Chef's tips
Keep the butter and water very cold to ensure a flaky, tender shortcrust. Mounding the apples slightly higher in the middle compensates for natural shrinkage as the fruit softens.
Ingredient substitutions
- Granny Smith apples → any firm, tart cooking apples such as Sturmer Pippin or Bramley
- demerara sugar → raw sugar or extra caster sugar
Storage
Store leftover pie covered in the fridge for up to four days.
Reheating
Reheat slices on a baking tray in a 160 degrees C oven for 10 to 12 minutes to re-crisp the pastry.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overworking the dough with warm hands, making the crust tough rather than crumbly.
- •Skipping the steam vents on the lid, causing the pastry to turn soggy or blow out.
- •Slicing the apples too thickly, leaving the fruit undercooked in the centre.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Old-Fashioned Apple Pie with Shortcrust?
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