Apple and Raspberry Double Crust Pie

I love autumn, with its harvest of fruits and berries, with the (occasional) blessing of sunshine;  but the declining temperatures and shorter days make us think of more filling puddings, like fruit pies.   The recipe below is for an apple and raspberry pie, using some of the lovely autumn raspberries you get before the frosts, but blackberry and apple is the usual alternative.   I used the traditional shortcrust pastry, with no egg, and topped it in the way my mother used to, with a dredging of caster sugar.   Mum’s pies were always great, with lovely crisp pastry over the top (except on one memorable occasion when she produced an apple pie from the freezer that turned out to be chicken!).

Apple and Raspberry Double Crust Pie

Apple and Raspberry Double Crust Pie

Shortcrust Pastry

(approx 12oz flour, 6oz butter/margarine, tbsp icing sugar, water to mix)

1lb/450g apples (or thereabouts, depending on the size of your pie dish)

½ lb/220g raspberries or blackberries

small quantity of water

Demerara sugar to taste (approx 3-4oz)

Beaten egg or milk to glaze

caster sugar

Make the pastry, and leave it to rest in the fridge while you prepare the fruit.  I usually partly stew the apples first in a small quantity of water with the Demerara sugar, so they are slightly softened, but not mushy. 

Roll the pastry out and cut a circle slightly larger than the pie dish.  Put that to one side, and ball up the pastry and roll it out again to a size large enough to cover the base of the dish.   Pour in the fruit, and put the uncooked raspberries/blackcurrants on the top.   Wet the edges of the pastry around the rim of the dish.  Gently put the pastry circle over the top, and press the pastry edges together.  Brush the top with the egg glaze, cut an air hole, and stick on any little pastry decorations.  Cook for about 20-25 minutes on 200 deg C until golden brown and bubbling.     Dredge with caster sugar before serving with custard/yoghurt/cream….