Apple Pie - the best ever!

 Baking the apples is the key to success with this deep dish pie. Nana would approve! The pastry is worth the effort so don't cheat with store bought!

Pre-heat oven to 150°C

Line a deep pie dish with baking paper.

Pastry

3 cups flour

1 cup self-raising flour

¼ tsp salt

1¼ cups milk

175g butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

Put flours and salt in a bowl

Melt butter and milk together over low heat. While warm, add the milk mix and vanilla to the flours. Use a blunt knife to mix into a dough. When it's cool enough to handle, mix by hand.

Divide the dough for base and top. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for about an hour.

Prepare the apples

1 bag of apples  - peeled, cored and quartered. If using small apples just halve them.

Juice from a couple of lemons - I used bottled lemon juice.

Coat the cut apples in lemon juice and arrange in a single layer on a lined baking tray.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Some apples will dry, some will breakdown, depending on the type of apple. Don't let them completely dry out or break down. You want them to still have shape but be soft.

The sauce

1 cup water

½ cup raw sugar

2 Tblsp golden syrup

2 Tblsp corn flour

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ginger

¼ cup crushed peanuts

Use  ¼ cup of the water and dissolve the corn flour to a paste.

Put the other ¼ cup water in a pot with the sugar and golden syrup. Bring to the boil.

Add the corn flour paste and stir over a medium heat until the sauce thickens.

Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

Mix well.

Roll out your base dough and line a deep pie dish. Roll out the top and set aside.

Sprinkle the crushed peanuts over the base  pie dough

Add baked apples to the sauce mixture and gently blend to coat all apples.

Spoon the apples into the pie dish.

Place top over the apples and pinch the sides to seal the pastry. Use a small sharp knife to cut a couple of vent holes in the top of your pie.

Bake at 150°C for 45 minutes