Ingredients
Pastry;
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup (11 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 to 7 tablespoons ice water
- 700g apples
- 50g dark brown sugar
- 80g coconut sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp cornflour
Finishing;
- 1 small egg (beaten)
- 2 tbsp Pine nuts (or wall nuts)
- 1-2 tsp caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Method;
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Gather pastry ingredients
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Put your mixing bowl and pastry blender in the freezer and allow them to chill, for at least 20 minutes. One of the secrets to producing a flaky crust, especially when using a high-protein flour like spelt, is to keep your ingredients as cold as possible.
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Use a balloon whisk to lightly sift together the spelt flour and the salt in your chilled mixing bowl. Coarsely cut the butter pieces into the flour using a pastry blender or two knives, until the particles of the mixture are the size of small lentils.
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Use a fork to add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, just until the dough begins to pull together into a mass and transfer the shortcrust pastry to a lightly floured counter and very lightly knead it over upon itself three times.
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Return to the mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the dough to rest.
- Peel, core and slice apples placing in large bowl. Add the sugars, cinnamon and cornflour and combine.Keep a selection of nicely cut apple segments for top layer of pieSet to one side while you roll pastry.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180'C / Fan 160'C / Gas Mark 4. Roll half of the chilled dough between floured clingfilm to 4mm thickness. Using the rolling pin, lay the rolled-out pastry over the pie dish and gently press it in. Trim the edges and prick the bottom a couple of times with a fork.
- Place apple mixture into pie dish and then turn out into the pastry so it is filled evenly. Use the set aside apple segments to arrange in a nice pattern on top
- Brush the crust with the egg. Sprinkle the entire pie with the remaining tablespoon sugar and bake for 45 minutes.
- Take out pie and sprinkle pine nuts over top with another sprinkle of cinnamon. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender.
- Let stand for at least 30 minutes before serving, warm.