Maple butter apple pie

1 HOUR 25 MINUTES | SERVES 8 EASY

This recipe uses browned butter, a variety of spices and the woody, caramelised flavour of maple syrup to make an apple pie with layers of flavour that is perfect on a chilly winter day.

unsalted butter 3 tbsp

maple syrup 3 tbsp

ground nutmeg П [ZW

ground cardamom П [ZW

ground allspice П [ZW

ground cinnamon º tsp

apples 680g, peeled and sliced

lemon juice 2 tsp

sugar 65g

cornflour 2 tbsp

salt º tsp CORNMEAL PECAN CRUMB

extra-fine cornmeal/polenta plain flour 45g, cold

soft light brown sugar 110g

unsalted butter 115g

vanilla extract Ω tsp pecan or walnut pieces 40g

salt Ω tsp 70g, cold

• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Follow the basic butter pastry dough recipe on p26 and line your pie tin.

• To make the filling, melt the butter over a medium heat in a lightly coloured large pan (this is so that you can see the colour of the butter as it cooks—white enamel or stainless steel both work well).

• After the butter melts and begins to bubble, heat for 5-10 minutes more, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the butter browns. When the butter is sufficiently browned, small chunks of toasty brown caramelised milk solids will have formed, and the remaining butter will have a deep golden-brown hue. Remove from the heat and whisk in the maple syrup, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice and cinnamon. Add the apple slices and stir to coat. Stir in the lemon juice.

• In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornflour and salt, making sure that the starch is evenly dispersed. Pour the sugar mixture over the apples and stir to coat. Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell, making sure to scrape the entire contents from the sides of the pan into the pie. Use a spatula to smooth the surface of the filling, ensuring the filling reaches the edges evenly.

• To make the crumb topping, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the butter chunks are no larger than a pea.

• Sprinkle the crumb over the filling one large spoonful at a time, starting at the outer edge and working your way toward the centre. Use your fingers to gently distribute the topping so the thickness is more or less consistent across the centre of the pie and slightly thicker near the edges. Leave it loose and do not compress it into the filling.

• Put the pie on a baking tray to collect any juices that bubble over and bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 190C/ fan 170C/gas 5 and bake for 40 minutes or until the filling has been bubbling for at least 10 minutes.

• Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. The pie will keep for up to three days at room temperature. Great with vanilla ice cream or cream.

PER SERVING 568 KCALS | FAT 32.3G SATURATES 18.1G | CARBS 63.6G | SUGARS 37G FIBRE 2.5G | PROTEIN 4.3G | SALT 0.8G

Pie for Everyone