DUTCH APPLE PIE

Preheat oven to 180C (350F)

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 cups Self Raising Flour
1 cup Plain Flour
1 cup Sugar
250gr (8oz) chilled butter
2 Eggs

Filling:

1 can Pie Apple
3 Granny Smith Apples
1 cup mixed fruit
1 teas vanilla sugar or essence
1 tabs sugar
1 teas cinnamon
1 can crushed pineapple (425gr)

Method:

Mix dough ingredients with chopped butter until it forms a ball. I put it all in my Kenwood Chef/Thermomix and let it knead until it all forms a ball around the beaters.

It will be a bit sticky and this is preferred.

I divide the dough into half. Each half I then cut into 2/3 and 1/3. This might sound confusing. What I mean is that the mixture makes two pies. So for each half, you need to put 1/3 aside to use as the topping for the pie. Have some flour on hand to dust hands and fingers if the dough is sticky. (You can also make some extra dough if you want to the pie to be a bit higher)

Grease each pie plate well and using your fingers, press the (2/3) dough into the bottom and sides of the plate. You can roll out the dough but you will need to do this between two sheets of cling wrap as the dough is too sticky for a rolling pin and by adding more flour changes the flavour of the dough.

Filling:

Put all filling ingredients into a bowl and lightly mix.

Put evenly into the two pie crusts.

(If you do not like pineapple, leave out and instead buy the bigger (825gr) can of pie apple and use that instead to make up the missing bulk of the pineapple. Also we tend to use either currants or sultanas instead of the mixed fruit as my kids are not keen on the mixed peel. This recipe came from the Dutch side of the family)


For the topping, you can either break pieces off the (1/3) dough off and roll between your hands and place in criss-cross fashion over the top of your pie. I just tend to break off small pieces, roll it into a ball and then press it out thin with my fingers into small circles and place around the top of the pie, a bit like a patchwork to enclose the whole top of the pie. Therefore if the pie is a little juicy, it does not spill out when you turn the pie out. (You can serve the pie in the pan. Also, use a springform pan helps with removing the pie)

You can brush milk over the top of the pies if you wish. I just sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.

Place in the oven for 30mins or until nicely golden.

Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or custard.

This is a family favourite!!!!