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| Apple Pie
This is the first time I'm attempting an Apple Pie and no one was more surprised than I when it turned out so well. To cut a long story short, it was Ranita's 22nd birthday last week and I was looking through various recipes wondering what to bake when she requested I make her an Apple Pie.
So I looked up various versions and then remembered a rcipe given by Jayanthi Pichamuthu which we had eaten at her house and which she also made for us while visiting us here. Checked out various roses I had seen on Pinterest and combined a few techniques together. The result was a visual and culinary delight.
The Recipe:
400gms flour; 175 gms caster sugar; 250gms cold butter; 100gms golden raisins; 100 ml orange juice; 1 yolk ( optional); 1 kg red apples, cored and sliced; 2 tbsp custard powder; 2 tsp cinnamon powder; 2 tbsp brown sugar.
Honey for glazing
Mix flour and sugar in a deep bowl. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the flour along with the yolk of 1 egg. Knead together until smooth and the mixture becomes a firm ball. Divide into two pieces. Grease a 9 inch cake pan with a collapsible bottom and press one piece with your fingers over the bottom and the sides evenly. Cover the pan, wrap the remaining dough in cling film and keep in the frig until required.
Put the raisins and orange juice in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer until the raisins are plumped up and the liquid evaporates. This takes about 5 minutes.
Mix the chopped apples, custard powder, cinnamon, sugar and raisins and place in the pan. Cut the remaining dough into two and roll out one portion into a thin circle large enough to fit on top of the apples, pressing the edges together with your fingers. Take a fork and prick a few holes in the top of the pastry for the steam to escape. Roll out the remaining pastry into a circle, cut into strips and arrange in a criss cross pattern over the pastry pinching the edges together.
Bake in a preheated oven at 175 Celcius for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Insert a metal skewer to check if done. Remove from oven and glaze (brush) - use a pastry brush- with 1 tbsp honey. Decorate with Roses.
How To Make The Roses: See the video on how to make the roses. It's pretty easy.
For Roses: 1 red apple; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp honey; 3 tbsp water.
Wash and cut the apple. Core it. Place the cut side down and slice each half very thin. Place in a small saucepan with the sugar, honey and water. Bring to the boil and simmer 3 to 5 minutes until the slices are soft. Take out the slices and cool on a plate.
For the Pastry: 1 cup plain flour, sifted; 1/2 stick butter- 55 gms approx; 3 tbsp cooked apple water.
Knead the sifted flour, apple water and cut butter until smooth. Shape into a ball and cut into two pieces. Roll out each piece into a rectangle. Cut into strips 1 inch in width and 8-10 inches in length. Take a strip and place 5 to 6 cooked apple slices on it overlapping each other. Roll from one end to another into a rose. Repeat with all the strips until the cooked apple slices are used up. Make a few leaves too. Place the roses in cup cake cases. Arrange leaves on baking paper and bake both together in a preheated oven at 175 Celcius for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and glaze with honey using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Arrange on Apple Pie when cool.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.
For The Sugarless Version: Made For My Mum's 80th Birthday 2-7-2015  
400gms flour; 1 1/2 cups sugarless Apple juice; 250gms cold butter; 100 gms golden raisins; 100 ml sugarless orange juice; 1 yolk ( optional); 1 kg red apples, cored and sliced; 3 tbsp cornflour; 2 tsp cinnamon powder.
Honey for glazing
Make the Roses first.
How To Make The Roses: See the video on how to make the roses. It's pretty easy.
For Roses: 1 red apple; 2 tbsp real honey; 4 tbsp water.
Wash and cut the apple. Core it. Place the cut side down and slice each half very thin. Place in a small saucepan with the honey and water. Bring to the boil and simmer 3 to 5 minutes until the slices are soft. Take out the slices and cool on a plate.
Reserve the water.
For the Pastry: 1 cup plain flour, sifted; 1/2 stick butter- 55 gms approx; 3 tbsp cooked apple water.
Knead the sifted flour, apple water and cut butter until smooth. Shape into a ball and cut into two pieces. Roll out each piece into a rectangle. Cut into strips 1 inch in width and 8-10 inches in length. Take a strip and place 5 to 6 cooked apple slices on it overlapping each other. Roll from one end to another into a rose. Repeat with all the strips until the cooked apple slices are used up. Make a few leaves too. Place the roses in cup cake cases. Arrange leaves on baking paper and bake both together in a preheated oven at 175 Celcius for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and glaze with honey using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Arrange on Apple Pie when cool.
For The Pie Base:
Cut cold butter into pieces and add to the flour along with the yolk of 1 egg in a deep bowl. Knead with about 5 - 6 tbsp apple water. If it is less add water by the tbsp. together until smooth and the mixture becomes a soft consistency. Divide into two pieces. Grease a 9 inch cake pan with a collapsible bottom and press one piece of dough with your fingers over the bottom and the sides of the pan evenly. Cover the pan, wrap the remaining dough in cling film and keep in the frig until required.
Put the raisins and orange juice in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer until the raisins are plumped up and the liquid evaporates. This takes about 5 minutes.
Mix the corn flour, cinnamon and 1/4 cup of the apple juice to a smooth consistence. Simmer the chopped apples in the remaining apple juice ( 1 1/4 cups) on a medium flame in a deep saucepan till soft. Add the raisins and gently stir in the cornflour and cinnamon mixture until thick and gooey. Cool ( about 20 minutes). Pour into the pie crust.
Cut the remaining dough into two and roll out one portion into a thin circle large enough to fit on top of the apples, pressing the edges together with your fingers. Take a fork and prick a few holes in the top of the pastry for the steam to escape. Roll out the remaining pastry into a circle, cut into strips and arrange in a criss cross pattern over the pastry pinching the edges together.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 Celcius for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Insert a metal skewer to check if done. Remove from oven and glaze (brush) - use a pastry brush- with 1 tbsp honey. Decorate with Roses.
How To Make The Roses: See the video on how to make the roses. It's pretty easy.
For Roses: 1 red apple; 2 tbsp honey; 3 tbsp water.
Wash and cut the apple. Core it. Place the cut side down and slice each half very thin. Place in a small saucepan with the honey and water. Bring to the boil and simmer 3 to 5 minutes until the slices are soft. Take out the slices and cool on a plate.
For the Pastry: 1 cup plain flour, sifted; 1/2 stick butter- 55 gms approx; 3 tbsp cooked apple water.
Knead the sifted flour, apple water and cut butter until smooth. Shape into a ball and cut into two pieces. Roll out each piece into a rectangle. Cut into strips 1 inch in width and 8-10 inches in length. Take a strip and place 5 to 6 cooked apple slices on it overlapping each other. Roll from one end to another into a rose. Repeat with all the strips until the cooked apple slices are used up. Make a few leaves too. Place the roses in cup cake cases. Arrange leaves on baking paper and bake both together in a preheated oven at 175 Celcius for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and glaze with honey using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Arrange on Apple Pie when cool.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.
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Sunday, February 8, 2015
Birthday Apple Pie
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