A Bramley Apple Pie

A Bramley Apple Pie
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A Bramley Apple Pie

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Course: Dessert
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

  • For the filling

  • 675g Bramley apples

  • 75-100g soft brown sugar

  • grated rind and juice of 1 orange

  • 1 teaspoon of mixed spice

  • 1tbsp plain white flour

  • 25g butter

  • For the crust

  • 175g prepared shortcrust pastry

  • 1-2 tsp caster sugar

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6, 15 minutes before baking the pie.
  • Peel and core the apples and then cut into thick slices and reserve. Mix together the sugar, grated orange rind, mixed spice and flour.
  • Place a third of the apple slices in the base of a 1.2 litre deep pie dish and sprinkle with half the sugar mixture. Cover with half the remaining apples and sugar then arrange the rest of the apples on top. Pour the orange juice over.
  • Cut the butter into small pieces and dot over the apples.
  • Roll the pasty out to an oblong on a lightly floured surface about 4cm larger than the pie dish. Cut out a 1.25cm strip. Dampen edges of pie dish with a little water then place the thin strip on the pie dish edge. Dampen the pastry edge then place the pastry lid in position. Press edges firmly together and using the back of a knife flake the edges together. If liked, any pastry trimming can be used to decorate the top.
  • Brush pastry with a little water and sprinkle with the caster sugar. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 180°C, 350oF, Gas Mark 4 and continue to cook for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. If liked the pie can be sprinkled with a little more sugar after baking.
  • Serve warm with cream, custard or ice cream.
  • Variations
  • Replace the grated orange rind with 2tsp of ground cinnamon, add to the soft brown sugar and flour.
    Add about 2-3 whole cloves to each layer of apples in the pie dish.
    Add 75g cut mixed peel to the apple layer.
    Antony Worrall Thompson MOGB

Notes

  • “To the best of my knowledge, the recipe for traditional Bramley Apple Pie filling has not changed: Bramley apples, sugar, cornflour and a preservative, such as lemon juice and water. Nor should it – let’s keep it this way! The Bramley is rightly recognised as being the best apple for cooking. Indigenous to Britain, the apple’s unique qualities, such as higher acid and lower sugar levels, produce a strong apple flavour even when cooked, and a superb texture once cooked.
  • From the time when in 1809 the first Bramley tree grew from pips planted by a young girl, Mary Ann Brailsford, in her garden in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, to 2010 with Bramleys being used innovatively in savoury stir fries by top of their game international chefs – it’s always been a winner in my eyes.”

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