Culpeper House

Here Lives A Man with a Pan

Puddings

Apple & Custard Pie

Toby

Ingredients

For the apple filling:

  • 8 large eating apples
  • 20g sugar
  • 50g butter
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the custard filling:

  • 4 egg yokes
  • 100g sugar
  • 400ml double cream
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

Essential kit

You will need: a 20cm x 7cm deep round loose-bottomed cake tin.

Method

Make the filling first so it has time to cool. Put the apples in a large saucepan along with the sugar and butter. Pop onto a medium heat and cook the apples down for 20 minutes with the lid on, making sure to stir occasionally. Take off the heat, add the cinnamon, mix and transfer to a flat plate to cool.

Now make the pastry. Buy it and roll it. Don’t waste time making it….

Take a 20cm x 7cm deep round loose-bottomed cake tin. Roll out the pastry big enough to cover the base and sides with some overhang. I like to do this in between sheets of cling film to avoid using flour. Once the right size, pull off the top layer of cling film and flip the pastry into the cake tin. Peel off the other piece of cling film and shape the pastry around the base and sides of the tin. Once lined, cut off the overhang. Retain the cling film. Prick the base using a fork and pop into the freezer for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C and pop a tray in.

Take the pastry out of the freezer and line with the cling film, making sure it hangs out over the side. Fill with baking beans or dry lentils, right to the top. Bake for 30 minutes on top of the hot tray. Remove from the oven, take out the cling film and baking beans, then bake again for 5–10 minutes until light golden and dry looking. Take out and set aside while you make the custard filling.

Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk. Add the cream, vanilla and almond extracts and mix.

Pour the apple filling into the pie case. Pour in the custard and coax it everywhere by gently stirring and moving the apples. Bake again for 1 hour–1 hour 10 minutes, till the centre has just set. Take out and leave to cool in the tin. Chill the pie overnight to set.

When you are ready to eat, make the compote. Add the blackberries to a pan. Use the back of a fork to squash a few to release the juices. Add the sugar, lime juice and zest and gently warm through on a medium heat. As soon as it begins to bubble, take it off the heat.

Serve. This is best eaten within a couple of days.