By Chris Dady, Salhouse
Ingredients
For the pastry
200g (7oz) strong white flour (plus a little extra for kneading and rolling)
115g (4oz) mature cheddar cheese, grated
40g butter
40g vegetable fat eg Trex
Pinch of salt
1 tsp Colman’s Mustard Powder
About 2tbsp water / egg mix: use half a beaten egg yolk made up to 2 tbsp with water andset aside the remaining beaten egg yolk
Filling
900g (2lb) cooking apples
115g (4oz) sugar
Instructions
- Peel, core and chop half the apples and add to a pan with the sugar. Gradually bring to the boil, occasionally stirring, then lightly simmer at the lowest setting
- Sift flour, salt and Colman’s Mustard Powder together, then chop in butter and fat. Use fingertips to rub together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in cheese
- Add water / egg mix a little at a time, stirring until it just starts to stick together
- Use a floured hand to knead lightly for a few seconds – you should have a ball of smooth pastry. Set aside
- Your apples should now be cooked, so remove from the heat and stir. Peel, core and thickly slice the remaining apples and stir into the cooked apples
- Add apple to a greased pie or flan dish
- Mix the remaining egg yolk with a little water or milk, and using a finger rub some of this round the edge of the dish
- Roll out the pastry using a rolling pin until it is just larger than the dish and lay over the apples. Press down around the rim using your fingers until it is sealed, and trim off surplus pastry
- Cut leaf shapes from trimmed pastry, slit pastry near the centre of the pie, and decorate the top of the pie by using the egg mix to stick on a few leaves
- Brush over the rest of the gg mix and sprinkle lightly with sugar
- Cook for approx. 20mins but check and turn after 20mins, then keep an eye on it until you have a pie with a golden cooked pastry crust
- Serve hot with cream or slices of red Leicester cheese
