There’s nothing like eating the first apples of the season picked off your own tree. And guess what we made? Apple pie, of course, deep-dish double-crust apple pie. Apples
1 tbsp sugar
For the pastry:-
250g plain flour
A pinch of salt
125g butter, cold
2 beaten eggs Pre-heat the oven to Gas 7/425F/220C, with a baking sheet.

Lightly grease a deep pie dish.

First, make the pastry as it needs to be set aside in the fridge to chill. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, then rub in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Add half the beaten egg and, using your hands, bring the dough together. Add a little more egg if it is too dry to come together. Reserve the rest of the egg for brushing over the finished pastry. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the apples. Peel, core and slice then put into a saucepan with a little water. Add a spoonful of sugar. Cook gently with the lid on for 20-30 minutes until softened but retaining distinctive lumps of apple. Set aside to cool.

Take the pastry from the fridge. We use the Rachel Allen method of rolling out pastry: lay the lump of pastry on one layer of cling film and put another on top. Divide your dough into two. Roll out the first half so it is slightly larger than your pie dish, and carefully line the dish. Press the edge down and trim off any surplus. Add the apples to the pie dish.

Next, roll out the second half of your dough to make the pastry lid. This should be slightly larger than the dish. Lay it over the filling. Press gently and firmly around the edges, fluting the edges if you wish with your fingers or a fork. Cut a steam-hole in the centre, either one hole or 2-3 slashes with a knife.

Brush the top with a little of the reserved egg, or milk, plus a gentle sprinkling of sugar.

Place the pie on the pre-heated baking sheet in the oven on a high shelf, and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to Gas 5/375F/190C and bake for a further 30 minutes. Using a skewer, take out a piece of apple from the centre to test if it’s cooked, if it still feels firm give the pie another 5 minutes in the oven. 5 to remember
el primero – the first
claro – of course
hondo – deep [dish]
la estación – the season [division of year]
firme – firm