This Bramley apple pie recipe bakes sharp October cooking apples under a Wensleydale shortcrust, a double-crust pudding for six with cheese in the pastry.
Vegetarian
Serves6
Hands-on40 min, plus chilling, standing and cooling
Oven55 min
DifficultyMedium
A salty, crumbly white cheese sounds unlikely in a pudding until the first forkful, when its tang cuts straight through the sweet, sharp fruit. In the oven it melts into the dough, leaving a short, golden lid with a gentle savoury note.
Why it’s so good: Letting the sliced apples sit in sugar draws out their juice, which is boiled down to a syrup and stirred back in, so the filling is glossy and the base stays crisp.
Make it easy: Make the pastry up to 2 days ahead and keep it wrapped in the fridge.
Method
Pulse the flour, caster sugar, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add the crumbled cheese and pulse 3-4 times to mix. Add the egg yolk and 3 tbsp ice-cold water and pulse until the dough starts to clump, adding 1 tbsp more water only if it stays dry. Divide into two pieces, one slightly larger, flatten into discs, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the apples in a large bowl with the brown sugar, the finely grated zest of the lemon, 1 tbsp of its juice and the cinnamon. Toss well and leave to stand for 30 minutes, stirring once, until a pool of juice has collected in the bowl.
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray on the middle shelf. On a floured surface, roll the larger disc to a 30cm round about 3mm thick and use it to line the pie dish, leaving the excess hanging over the rim. Chill while you finish the filling.
Tip the apples into a colander set over a small pan and let the juice drain through. Boil the juice over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until reduced to about 3 tbsp of sticky syrup. Toss the apples with the cornflour, then with the syrup, and pack into the pastry case, mounding them slightly in the middle.
Roll the smaller disc to a 25cm round. Brush the rim of the case with beaten egg, lay the lid on top and press the edges together firmly. Trim, crimp and cut 3 small slits in the top for steam. Brush all over with egg and scatter with the demerara sugar.
Bake on the hot tray for 20 minutes, then lower the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and bake for 30-35 minutes more, until the pastry is deep golden and the juices bubble at the slits. Cover the edges loosely with foil if they brown too quickly.
Leave the pie to stand for 30 minutes so the juices thicken before cutting. Serve warm, with a wedge of Wensleydale on the side if you like.
Nutrition
Per serving (Serves 6)
Calories
575kcals
Fat
26g (16g saturated)
Protein
10g
Carbohydrates
76g (36g sugars)
Fibre
3.5g
Salt
0.3g
Quick wins, tips & make ahead
The pastry keeps, wrapped, in the fridge for up to 2 days. The baked pie keeps, covered, in a cool place for up to 2 days; warm slices in a low oven for 10-15 minutes.
Crumbly Lancashire or Cheshire can replace the Wensleydale in the pastry. Check the label to make sure the cheese is suitable for vegetarians.
Bramleys vary in sharpness, so taste a slice once the fruit has stood in the sugar and add 1 tbsp more if needed. If using eating apples such as Cox, reduce the brown sugar to 60g.
