Vale Apple and Blackberry Pie
Tender Vale orchard apples and wild hedgerow blackberries baked inside a crisp, golden, double-crust shortcrust pastry.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 465 kcal
Equipment
- •23cm deep pie dish
- •Rolling pin
- •Mixing bowl
- •Pastry brush
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 465 kcal
- fat
- 20 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 465 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub the chilled butter into the plain flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- 2
Stir in 25 g of caster sugar, then add cold water gradually until a firm dough comes together.
- 3
Shape the dough into a disc, wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- 4
Heat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan) and lightly butter a deep pie dish.
- 5
Toss the sliced apples, blackberries, remaining sugar, cornflour, cinnamon, and lemon juice together in a bowl.
- 6
Roll out two-thirds of the chilled pastry on a floured surface to line your pie dish.
- 7
Spoon the fruit filling into the pastry-lined dish, mounding it slightly in the centre.
- 8
Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid, and brush the pastry rim with beaten egg.
- 9
Lay the lid over the filling, press firmly to seal, and crimp the edges neatly.
- 10
Cut two small steam slits in the top, brush with beaten egg, and scatter over demerara sugar.
- 11
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and fruit juices bubble gently.
Chef's tips
Keep the butter very cold so the pastry stays light and flaky. Tossing the fruit in cornflour prevents the bottom crust from becoming soggy as the berries release their juice. Let the pie rest for 15 minutes before slicing to allow the filling to set.
Ingredient substitutions
- Bramley cooking apples → firm eating apples such as Cox or Russet, reducing the sugar by 25 g
- fresh blackberries → frozen blackberries, thawed and thoroughly drained
Storage
Store leftover pie covered in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat slices on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 180°C for 10 to 12 minutes to crisp the crust.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overworking the pastry dough, which results in a tough, chewy crust.
- •Skipping the cornflour, causing the blackberry juices to make the bottom soggy.
- •Slicing the apples too thickly so they remain hard while the pastry browns.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Vale Apple and Blackberry Pie?
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