This delicious and unusual apple dessert is flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve it with a bowl of plain whipped cream or with vanilla ice-cream.
ingredients
serves 4 - 6
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable fat or lard (shortening) cut in small pieces
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon butter, cut in small pieces
6 tablespoons ice-cold water
1 egg, lightly beaten, for glaze
for the filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 large tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 pound seedless green grapes
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
method
1. First make the pastry. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut in the vegetable fat or lard and 1/4 cup of the butter. With your fingertips, rub the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add 4 tablespoons of the iced water and mix it in with the knife. Knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth, adding the remaining water if the dough is too dry. Form the dough into a ball and wrap it in greaseproof or waxed paper. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. Grease a deep 9 inch pie dish with the 1 teaspoon of butter. Divide the dough into two unequal portions and return the smaller portion to the refrigerator.
4. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the larger portion into a round large enough to line the pie dish.
5. Lift the dough on the rolling pin and lay it over the pie dish. With your fingers, gently ease the dough into the dish. Using a sharp knife, trim the dough even with the outer rim of the pie dish. Set aside.
6. Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). To make the filling, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
7 .Add the apples and grapes and the cornstarch mixture and mix thoroughly. Turn the mixture into the pie dish, piling it higher in the centre.
8 .Dot the top of the filling with the butter. Dampen the pie rim with water.
9. Roll out the remaining portion of the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick and 12 inch in diameter.
10. Place the dough over the filling. With a sharp knife, trim the top crust to within 1/4 inch of the dish edge. Tuck the overhanging dough under the edge of the bottom crust all around the rim and press down with your thumb and forefinger to seal the two crusts and to make a crimped design.
11. Brush with the beaten egg. With the knife, cut two small gashes in the centre of the top crust to allow steam to escape.
12. Bake the pie for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and continue baking for 45 minutes or until the fruit is tender and the crust brown.
Serve the pie hot.
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