Apple Pie

This is my most successful apple pie and considering that I am hopeless at anything that calls for "baking" and "pastry crust", it is a personal accomplishment. This pie feeds 8 but it was demolished in 2 days flat, without ice-cream or condiments whatever.

Other than the pastry portions, everything else is according to personal preference. I love walnut ( since they don't go soggy in the apple mix. Also it has the addictive crunch with every bite ) and add them everywhere I can place them.

It sounds like a lot of work here but frankly, it's quite a breeze. I made the whole pie with my Korean drama running on my laptop in the kitchen. Can't say the same about the washing, though.

Pie filling :
8 granny smith (green) apples,peeled,cored,8 wedges
8 T brown sugar
2 T lemon rind
½ t cinnamon
1 handful toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 handful raisins
1 egg,beaten for egg wash

Shortcrust pastry ingredients :
250g plain flour
4 T caster sugar
150 g cold butter, cubed
3 T full fat milk
3 T finely chopped/crushed walnuts

Prepare apple filling :
Microwave apples , covered for 5 min, covered
Drain off water completely ( Very important !!! )
Add brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon rind,walnuts,raisins
Toss.

Coat butter on 20 cm round pie dish and dust with flour
Preheat oven to 200 C

Pie crust :
( I worry about the pastry being difficult to handle, so I chill every ingredient above until I was ready to make the pastry. This step has always been my personal hurdle but this time, it turned out well. Most probably because of the chilled pastry ingredients .. )
On a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, butter till it resembles fine crumbs
Add 3 T very cold milk and pulse mixture
Portion dough ( 2/3 and 1/3 ) and form 2 balls
Put into plastic bags and chilled for 30 min

30 mins later …….

Assembly time:
Roll dough balls on floured surface, sufficient for a 20 cm pie dish
Transfer bigger dough to the base of dish, draping excess dough on edges
Line base with finely crushed walnut to waterproof it from wet apples
Put apple mixture onto the pie base
Wet rim of overhanging pie base
Transfer top dough sheet and cover apple mixture
Seal top and bottom dough, remove excess dough with knife and make lots of breathing holes on top dough to release steam
Use excess dough for leaf patterns if desired
Brush pie top with egg wash ( a definite must for the professional look ! )

Bake in 200c for 30 mins and remove when top is golden brown and crisp

Keeps well for 2 days unrefrigerated but there's no stopping you if you wish to serve chilled.