Annabel langbein’s stellar apple pie
“I want winter to feel easy and fun, not cold and difficult,” says Annabel. “So I have streamlined and simplified winter cooking to give it the same easy mood that we love about summer meals.”As well as more than 150 delicious new recipes, Annabel Langbein A Free Range Life: Winter Goodness is packed with tools, tips and tricks to take the stress and boredom out of deciding what to eat in winter.
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- Sour Cream Pastry
- 200g butter, chilled and diced
- 1¾ cups flour
- ½ cup sour cream or crème fraiche
- Spiced Apples
- 8 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced, or 2 x 375g cans sliced apples, drained
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup honey
- finely grated zest of ½ an orange
- ¼ tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
- To serve
- cream or ice cream (optional)
Method
To make the Sour Cream
- Pastry, pulse butter and flour in a food processor until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add sour cream or crème fraiche and pulse until the dough starts to form a ball. If still crumbly, add a little cold water until it comes together.
- Form into a log about 6cm in diameter, wrap in waxed paper and chill for at least 20 minutes or freeze until needed.
To prepare Spiced Apples
- Combine apples, raisins, honey, zest and spices in a pot. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until apples are semi-soft (5-6 minutes). Allow to cool. If using canned apples, drain well then stir in raisins, honey, zest and spices.
- Preheat oven to 180 °C fanbake and line a medium (about 25cm-diameter) pie dish or ovenproof frypan with baking paper.
- Cut ¾ of the pastry log into circles about ½cm thick. Use to line the dish, pressing together to cover the base and 4cm up sides. Fill with apple mixture.
- Roll out remaining pastry and cut into stars. Arrange on pie then bake until pastry is crisp and golden (about 45 minutes).
Serve warm or cold with cream or ice cream, if desired.
Take it Free Range: If you don’t have sour cream or crème fraiche, use frozen sweet short pastry sheets.