Apple pie recipe

Learn how to make this easy apple pie in just a few simple steps.

This easy apple pie recipe is a real classic. Made traditionally with stewed apples and a rich buttery pastry you just can't go wrong. Serve with custard or ice cream for an extra special treat for dessert after your roast dinner Sunday afternoon.

This apple recipe serves 4-6 people and takes around 1hr and 45 mins to make and bake. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two days. Reheat or serve cold.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 675g apples
• 75 - 100g soft brown sugar
• Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
• 1tsp of mixed spice
• 1tbsp plain white flour
• 25g butter

For the pastry:

• 7tsp cold water
• 280g/10oz plain flour
• 170g/6oz margarine or butter
• A pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6, 15 mins before baking the pie.
2. Peel and core the apples and then cut into thick slices and reserve. Mix together the sugar, grated orange rind, mixed spice and flour.
3. Place a third of the apple slices in the base of a 1.2 litre deep pie dish and sprinkle with half the sugar mixture, cover with half the remaining apples and sugar then arrange the rest of the apples on top. Pour the orange juice over.
4. Cut the butter into small pieces and dot over the apples.
5. Make up the pastry by mixing all of the ingredients together and kneading into a dough. Roll the pasty out to an oblong on a lightly floured surface about 4cm larger than the pie dish then cut out a 1.25cm strip. Dampen edges of pie dish with a little water then place the thin strip on the pie dish edge. Dampen the pastry edge then place the pastry lid in position. Press edges firmly together and using the back of a knife flake the edges together. If you like, any pastry trimming can be used to decorate the top.
6. Brush pastry with a little water and sprinkle with the caster sugar. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 mins then reduce oven temperature to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and continue to cook for 30 mins or until the pastry is golden brown.
7. The pie can be sprinkled with a little more sugar after baking, if you like. Serve warm with cream, custard or ice cream.

Top tips for making apple pie

You can replace the grated orange rind with 2tsp of ground cinnamon, add to the soft brown sugar and flour for a festive taste.

How do you stop apple pie from getting a soggy bottom?

To make sure the apple pie doesn’t get a soggy bottom (one of Mary Berry’s pet hates!) you’ll want to blind bake your pastry first. Blind baking means you pre-bake the crust of the pie before adding the filling.

To blind bake you’ll need to line your pie tin with the pastry, cover with parchment paper and then fill with either rice, dried beans or ceramic baking weights - the will stop the pastry from rising too much. Bake for about 10 minutes at 200C. Then you can add your filling and topper and can continue baking.

Which apples are best for apple pie?

Granny Smith Apples, Golden Delicious, Braeburn are all delicious baked in an apple pie. You can of course use handpicked apples from the apple tree in your grandmas garden too! If you’ve got a few randoms types of apple leftover in the bottom of your fruit bowl or fridge, you could use a variety in one go. It’s a great way to use up leftovers.

If you want a smooth, silky apple pie filling we’d recommend peeling your apples before baking in the pie. If you’d like an apple pie filling with a bit more bite and texture, you’re best to leave the skin on your apples.

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