Warm Homemade Apple Pie Recipe

Peel, core and slice the Bramley apples into 1 cm thick wedges. Weigh about 1.2 kg peeled apples.

Place the sliced apples in a wide saucepan with 60 ml water, 100 g granulated sugar, 40 g light brown sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp nutmeg.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften and release juices, about 8–10 minutes.

Mix 2 tbs cornstarch with a small splash of cold water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the simmering apples and cook 1–2 minutes more to thicken. The apples should be stewy but not completely broken down — leave some structure because they will finish baking in the oven.

Remove from heat and stir in 30 g unsalted butter until melted. Taste and adjust sweetness or spice if needed. Allow filling to cool to room temperature while you make pastry.

In a large bowl, combine 250 g plain flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp caster sugar (if using). Rub in 140 g cold cubed butter with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.

Sprinkle the iced water (45 ml) over the flour-butter mix a little at a time, gently bringing the dough together with a fork. Add only enough water for the dough to just hold together when pressed — avoid overworking.

Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours).

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) conventional (180°C/350°F fan). Lightly flour a work surface and roll out two-thirds of the chilled pastry to line a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish, leaving a slight overhang. Reserve the remaining pastry for the top.

Line the pie dish with the pastry, press gently into corners, trim excess leaving about 2 cm overhang. Prick the base lightly with a fork. Chill the lined case for 10 minutes to prevent shrinking.

Stir the cooled apple filling to redistribute juices. Spoon the filling into the chilled pastry case and dot with the extra 10 g butter.

Roll out the reserved pastry and cover the pie as a full lid or create a lattice/top of your choice. Trim and crimp the edges to seal. Cut 2–3 vents into a full lid to allow steam to escape.

Beat the egg and brush the pastry top and edges with the egg wash; sprinkle 1 tbsp caster sugar evenly over the top for a crisp, glossy finish.

Place the pie on a baking tray (to catch any overflow) and bake at 200°C (390°F) for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake a further 35–40 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents.

If the edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil for the remaining bake time. When baked, remove the pie and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing; this helps the filling set.

While the pie bakes, prepare the custard. Split 1 vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into 500 ml milk and 100 ml cream (or add 1 tsp vanilla extract later). Warm the milk and cream gently with the vanilla seed and pod until just below boiling; remove from heat and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk 4 egg yolks with 75 g caster sugar until pale and slightly thickened. If using, whisk in 1 tsp cornstarch.

Gradually temper the warm milk into the yolk mixture: add a ladleful at a time while whisking to avoid curdling. Once combined, return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 6–8 minutes). Do not boil.

Remove from heat, strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits and the vanilla pod. Cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin forming and keep warm (or cool if preparing ahead and reheat gently before serving).

Chill a mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for 10 minutes to help whipping. Pour 200 ml cold double cream into the chilled bowl, add 2 tbs icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, taking care not to overwhip. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Slice a warm piece of apple pie and place on a dessert plate.

Ladle warm vanilla custard alongside or pour over the pie as desired.

Top with a dollop of Chantilly cream. Serve immediately while pie is still warm.