It may well be my obsession with all things State-side, or it may be the simple fact that I really enjoy saying the word with a 'Southern belle' style accent, but I really do love pie. I can quite happily forgo most desserts but every now and then I get a hankerin' for pie and from then on, I must have it. This is one of my favourites and thankfully, it's possibly the easiest pie ever. The filling here is a lovely summery one, but you could just as easily (and I have) substitute apples and rhubarb, or apples and blackberries, or apples and raspberries - whatever you fancy really.
Rhubarb and Raspberry Pie (adapted slightly from Annabel Langbein)
Simmer 500gm chopped rhubarb with half a cup of sugar and 1/4 water until rhubarb is soft (try not to mess with it too much at this point or the rhubarb breaks up and becomes mushy. It still tastes good, but it won't look quite as pretty). Leave to cool. Once cooled, mix through 2 tsp cornflour mixed with a wee bit of water, and fold in 200gm raspberries and a bit of lemon zest if you have it (I'd had a lot of margaritas and other cocktails the night before, so the house was sans lemon).
Meanwhile, blitz in the food processor 2 cups of plain flour, 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Add 125gm cold, diced butter and 2 lightly beaten eggs and process for around 30 seconds (it'll turn into a big gorgeous beige lump of dough). I'm sure you could do this by hand but it would take a bit of working. Divide into 2 pieces so that you have one large lump of 2/3rds of the dough, and a smaller 1/3rd lump. Put the small lump in the freezer, and the larger lump in the fridge for 30 mins.
Fill a pie tin with the dough - because it's sweet shortcrust, you don't need to faff about rolling and getting precious. I slice it into pieces about 1/2cm thick and just press/schmush it into the tin so that the sides and base are covered evenly. It's like playing with playdo - v fun! Pour in the cooled fruit mixture. Grate the remaining (now slightly frozen) wodge of dough over the top so that it's this crumbly, pastry shreds topping. If you wanted to get fancy you could probably add a sprinkling of cinnamon and demerera sugar so that it goes extra crunchy, but you don't have to.
Bake for about 40 mins at 180degC or until the topping is lightly golden and the filling is all bubbly and gorgeous. Best served warm with vanilla icecream. Will keep happily in fridge for a couple of days if it lasts that long.
Rhubarb and Raspberry Pie (adapted slightly from Annabel Langbein)
Simmer 500gm chopped rhubarb with half a cup of sugar and 1/4 water until rhubarb is soft (try not to mess with it too much at this point or the rhubarb breaks up and becomes mushy. It still tastes good, but it won't look quite as pretty). Leave to cool. Once cooled, mix through 2 tsp cornflour mixed with a wee bit of water, and fold in 200gm raspberries and a bit of lemon zest if you have it (I'd had a lot of margaritas and other cocktails the night before, so the house was sans lemon).
Meanwhile, blitz in the food processor 2 cups of plain flour, 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Add 125gm cold, diced butter and 2 lightly beaten eggs and process for around 30 seconds (it'll turn into a big gorgeous beige lump of dough). I'm sure you could do this by hand but it would take a bit of working. Divide into 2 pieces so that you have one large lump of 2/3rds of the dough, and a smaller 1/3rd lump. Put the small lump in the freezer, and the larger lump in the fridge for 30 mins.
Fill a pie tin with the dough - because it's sweet shortcrust, you don't need to faff about rolling and getting precious. I slice it into pieces about 1/2cm thick and just press/schmush it into the tin so that the sides and base are covered evenly. It's like playing with playdo - v fun! Pour in the cooled fruit mixture. Grate the remaining (now slightly frozen) wodge of dough over the top so that it's this crumbly, pastry shreds topping. If you wanted to get fancy you could probably add a sprinkling of cinnamon and demerera sugar so that it goes extra crunchy, but you don't have to.
Bake for about 40 mins at 180degC or until the topping is lightly golden and the filling is all bubbly and gorgeous. Best served warm with vanilla icecream. Will keep happily in fridge for a couple of days if it lasts that long.
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