British Expatriate Network

We all went apple picking yesterday in NY so now I'm in need of a good apple pie that doesn't include the C word..... )

Personally, I would stew 'em a little while in Sprite/7Up before committing them to a nice shortcrust pastry case and lid...brushed with egg white and sprinkled with sugar, baked in a 400f oven until brown.

And noooooo cinnamon! o

Debs x )

If you make your own pastry replave half the fat (butter/lard) with grated cheddar - mmmmmmmmmm.

You said the C word.... I'm telling on you!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeew.

Zed, we sometimes like to blind bake the case before filling it to make it less soggy.

Cheddar in a sweet crust . . .getta outa here roll

Ask Mr Kipling, he makes exceedingly good cakes. Or so I've heard.

Cheesy crust is also offered By Delia Smith... but this recipe also uses blackberries.

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/r_0000001215.asp

Apple pie without cheese is like ..... well.. it's not acceptable. With the cheese baked in, even better.
Lacking a sweet tooth regards lol

I think this apple pie and cheese thing is a northern idea. Like when they eat Christmas cake they have cheese with it.

Deb, how long do you stew your apples in 7up? Never heard of doing this before.

No, really, check out Delia! (The Goddess of Food methinks)

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/r_0000001049.asp

Definitely northern, wouldn't consider Christmas cake without a nice bit of creamy white crumbly Lancashire.
:)

But we still dont have proper lard here. I can get Manteca lard, but I'm not convinced it the same.
What about Crisco? My pastry falls apart, I gave up making it!

Crisco seems to work. If you're ever in Chicago I'll make you one.

I thought manteca was just spanish for lard, not a brand name?

I'm pretty sure the lard we get from save-a-lot is just plain old lard.

Seems to make ok pastry anyway.

Dianey, I usually keep the apples in the 7-Up for maybe 10 minutes until they are just tender. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting otherwise the apples will break apart. You may need to add a little more sugar depending on how sweet your tooth is or how tart the apples are.

I do bake my pastry cases blind before adding the filling - thanks Monster, I forgot about that.

I also use Manteca lard half and half with butter; plain flour and a pinch of salt with iced water to bind, then wrap in Saran and rest in the fridge for half an hour or so before rolling out.

You could make a sweet pastry crust...

8oz plain flour
5oz butter
1oz sugar
1 egg
pinch salt

Rub the butter into the seived flour and salt until it resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the middle then add the sugar and the beaten egg and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Keep stirring, incorporating the dry ingredients. Knead lightly adding a scant bit more flour if needed. Wrap in Saran and chill in fridge for an hour. Rolling this pastry out between two peices of Saran will save any mess.

Debs x )

Im so happy to see im NOT the only one who HATES cinnamon!
Awful awful awful stuff!