Irish Home Made Apple Pie

Every woman in Ireland knows her mother’s Apple Pie Recipe; this recipe is passed down through generation after generation and in some families, it is so secret they would not dare tell anyone outside the family.

There is nothing nicer than walking into a traditional Irish kitchen and smelling the wonderful aroma of freshly baking Apple Pie except that is a slice of freshly baked Apple Pie straight out of the oven topped with homemade custard or cream.

Ingredients for Irish Home Made Apple Pie

• 225g/ 2 cups plain all-purpose flour
• Pinch salt
• 50g/ ¼ cup butter or margarine
• 50g/ ¼ cup lard, shortening
• 30ml/ 2 tablespoons cold water
• 900g/ 2lb cooking, tart apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 45ml/ 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 45ml/ 3 tablespoons milk
• Cream or custard to serve

How to make Irish Apple Pie

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl then using your fingertips rub in the butter or margarine and the lard or shortening until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add enough of the cold water to form a firm dough.

Roll out ¾ of the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 20 cm/8-inch pie plate.

Cover with the apples and place in the cloves and sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar.

Roll out the remaining pastry and use to cover the pie moistening the edges to seal the lid.

Flute the edges and decorate with the trimmings of the pastry.

Cut a vent in the top of the pie and brush the top with milk.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F gas mark 6 for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

Serve with custard or cream.