Ziggie Makes: Apple Pie and Cornish Pasties

This time, it was all about working with shortcrust pastry. Which is why I made the savoury and the sweet versions.

Apple Pie

Off the record, I still can't believe I made an apple pie. This may sound weird, strange...weird, but I have an awesome kind of feeling at the pit of my stomach; I've conquered apple pie! :)

Ingredients

Crust

-2 cups white flour

-75g butter

-75g fat or lard

-1 teaspoon salt

-10 to 12 tablespoons of ice water

Procedure

1. Mix the salt and flour.

2. Make sure your butter and fat are soft. If not, microwave until soft; however, do not melt. Rub the butter and fat into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3. Add water and mix until a doughy mixture is formed. You can add more water if it's still too dry (teaspoon), but make sure you don't pour too much

4. Wrap dough in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes

Filling

Meanwhile, you make the filling.

Ingredients

-5 green tart apples 

-1 cup sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 tablespoon vinegar

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-2 tablespoons flour

-1 tablespoon lemon juice

Procedure

1. Peel and slice apples (thin slices). Soak them in a large bowl filled with water and the lemon juice (this will prevent them from browning while you work)

2. In another container, mix the sugar, cinnamon, vinegar, salt and flour.

3. Once you've done that, drain and add the apples to the mixture. Mix until evenly coated with the sugar mixture.

4. Now that you're done with the filling, remove the dough from the fridge and roll out using a rolling pin. Part of the dough which is used for the base should be about 2mm thick. Roll it out onto a pie dish which should be no more than 9 inches in length.

5. Pour in the apples and level. Before covering the filling, place some butter (about 15g) cut into cubes on top. 

6. Cover over the top with another batch of rolled out dough and press on the sides to close it up (use thumbs of back of knife)

7. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

8. For glossiness, brush with egg white after removing from oven.

Then it's ready to enjoy!

My dad loved it! I liked the sweet and sour in it; especially from the apples.

Cornish Pasties

These are proudly British; well at least that's what I was told.

Ingredients
-Short crust pastry (Refer to "Crust" at Apple Pie)
-Stewing beef
-1 large potato
-1/2 onion finely chopped
-salt and pepper to taste
-Butter
-1 Egg beaten.
-Ice water

Procedure
1. Cook beef in water until tender.

2. Grate potato and mix with chopped onion. Mix together with the cooked stewing beef

3. Add the salt and pepper to taste

4. Roll out pastry with a rolling pin on a chopping board.

5. Use a saucer (diameter about 5cm) to cut circles into the dough (pastry)

6. Place the filling (meat mixture) in the middle of each circle. Place a small cube of butter (unsalted) onto the filling before closing.

7. Use a little ice water to dampen the edges of the dough and close the circles. (Refer to finished product above to see how it looks like closed).

8. Brush some egg onto the pasty and place each on a baking tray lined with baking sheet

9. Bake at 220 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes, then reduce your heat to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for a further 30minutes.

10. Remove from oven and serve hot or cold.

My sister said, "Hmmm! I feel like I'm about to chew my lips off. It's so smooth and just plain delicious. May I have another?"  I don't need to add more to that.

So there you have it. The "Crusty-mania", I had in my kitchen. Personally from both recipes, the crust was the best part. I loved the neutral butter-ish taste it had.

So try them out or just glare at the pics...

'Till next time :)