What to do with them apples?

The world's easiest apple pie

My in-laws run a dairy farm in Somerset. They have a big old apple tree on the farm which seems to shed its load all at the same time. So we get given carrier bags full of apples. Now I love an apple, but there are only so many that I can eat raw in a day so I was very happy when I found this recipe for the worlds most easy (and impressive looking) apple pie!

It is called Croustade aux pommes...very chic! I have put the measurements here for you (and if you are in the states it is very easy to do it by eye....I will explain)

1. You need to buy some filo pastry.

2. 1Kg of apples (eating ones not cooking ones)....I used about 6 medium sized apples...peel, core and chop them....or slice if you are feeling more artistic.

3. 4 tablespoons of Calvados or Armagnac....you can use apple brandy as well....as you can see I used Calvados that someone had brought us from their trip to France....I knew it was in the back of the cupboard somewhere!

4. 200g of unsalted butter melted....you just need enough to cover the flio sheets and the top of the pie. Do this with a pastry brush.

5. 4-5 tablespoons of caster sugar.


So first of all you chop the apples and put them in a bowl....very easy. Then you slosh the alcohol over the top of them and give them a stir. Put a lid on the bowl and leave them to absorb the booze. Stick the oven onto 200c degrees (180 c if you have a fan oven) gas mark 6. I recommend a cup of tea at this point and a sit down for an hour....told you this was easy!

Now get the filo sheets out. They are as light as paper made by fairies and need to be treated with gentle hands. Brush the tin with melted butter. Mine was about 9 inches wide. Lay a double sheet of filo into a tart tin. (Leave the sides hanging over as you will need these later). Brush with butter. Cover with another 2 sheets at a different angle, so that you are building up a star shape of over hanging pastry all round the tin...and butter them. Then butter the top sheet of pastry.

Now drop in the apples (or if you have done slices lay them in dust with sugar and keep building up the layers this way). Cover the apples with the sugar.

Cover the apples with a double layer of filo and tuck it in. Now the fun bit! Take all of the over hanging pastry (you will need your buttered pastry brush to act as glue) and fold them over the pie as if you are a 3 year old trying to make the bed....or you can imagine that you are crumpling up some perfect hotel beds, just for fun.

Once it looks folded in and rustic enough, brush the top with butter. Stick it in the oven for 25-30 minutes until it is brown. You might need to watch it as it can vary on how much time it needs.

Take out of the oven and sprinkle with sugar...serve warm with cream.

The worlds easiest apple pie.....yum yum!

Paper, paper, paper

I have been away in Brighton for a meeting so I haven't been able to blog for a while. It was a great meeting and I am hoping that it will lead to some exciting work.

I still haven't had any paid work since I quit my job...but at the end of this month I have to take some pictures for a country show (paid work!!!)....I love cows, so I am hoping I will be inspired by it! Tomorrow I am off to take photos of Long Horn Cows...I will post some here when I have taken them.

So for now I wanted to show you the second paper cut that I have been working on. The first one I did for my friend's birthday. So here is number two..ta...da!


I am thinking about making them into screenprints ready for a screenprinting weekend that I am going to go on in October.

Paper cutting

I have never done paper cutting before, but I LOVE the work of Ryan Town. I can't afford his originals but I have bought some of his cards and plan to frame them to put on the wall.

It is my friend's 30th birthday this weekend and I wanted to make her a present. First of all I thought I would make her an applique bag, then I thought she wouldn't use it. So I then thought I would do a machine embroidery picture of her...but didn't think I would have enough time.

Above my desk I have a paper bag from Ryan Town's shop which has a lovely little bird on it and the words 'Everything is going to be ok'. When I feel lost I look at it. So I looked up and suddenly I thought I would try to do a paper cut picture for her. So I started to sketch not really knowing what I was doing. It look me a lot of rubbing out until I worked out which bits had to stay connected to other bits.

I started to cut with scissors at first until I could find a craft knife...but boy does paper cutting get through blades! But I am learning and excited with how my first piece came out.

I am going to get some red card to put as a backing and then frame it for her birthday. I think I will try to do some screen prints of them in the future just for fun!



Let me know what you think of it.

How to Make a Sock Monkey: 9 steps (with pictures) - wikiHow

How to Make a Sock Monkey: 9 steps (with pictures) - wikiHow

I hope that this works as I have been trying to get the link to work for days....I found these great instructions on how to make a sock monkey....joy, joy, joy!

Old Sketch Book

I have been looking through some of my old sketch books and wondering if it is time to pick up the pencil again...I might try out a few things and post them here.

Now that I am going to be jobless for a while I am going to be open again to trying lots of new things...start with a pencil and who knows where it will end!