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!
