From September until next March, you can get your hands on some of the tastiest apples ever – British apples are renowned for having the best flavour. So here are 2 of our favorite recipes using the great English apple:
Traditional Apple pie:
450g sweet shortcrust pastry (if you use shop bought we promise not to tell!)
Granny Smith or Cox’s apples, peeled, cored and quartered
175 g light muscovado sugar
1 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp ground cinnamon
50 g slightly salted butter, cut into small cubes, plus extra for greasing
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and flour a 25cm diameter shallow dish.
Divide the pastry into 2 pieces, roughly one third and two thirds. Roll out the larger piece on a lightly floured surface 5mm thick and use it to line the dish, let some of the pastry over hang the dish by roughly 2–3cm .
Put the apples into a large bowl. Add the sugar, flour and cinnamon, then toss everything about so that the apples are coated all over. Fill the lined dish with the apple mixture and dot the butter on top.
Roll out the remaining pastry to circle a little larger than the dish. Brush the edges of the pastry case and lid with some of the beaten egg. Place pastry on top of the apples.
Using your fingers, pinch the pastry where it joins for a decorative look.
Finally, brush the top generously with the rest of the beaten egg. Make a small hole in the centre to allow the steam to escape.
Bake in the oven for 50–60 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the juices start to ooze out. Serve with steaming hot custard…perfect!
Spiced tomato and apple chutney:
1kg tomatoes roughly chopped
2 Granny smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
100g sultanas
300g sugar
200ml vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons mixed spices
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Combine the vinegar, sugar and spices into a heavy based pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over a very low heat for approximatly 2 hours until the mixture is a thick consistency.
Pour into sterilised jars while the mixture is still hot and seal.
The chutney can be eaten straight away but we recommend waiting (if you can resist!) for 1-2 weeks to let it mature. This is a perfect idea to make as an inexpensive yet impressive Christmas gift!
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