Traditional English Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 700g cooking apples
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• Pastry for shell and top
• 125g white sugar
• 60g brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Generous pinch of grated nutmeg
• ¼ level teaspoon cinnamon
• Grated peel of ½ an orange
• Grated peel of ½ a lemon
• 50g chopped sultanas
• 1-2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1-2 tablespoons butter

Method

Peel and core the apples and slice thickly. Soak them in water with a little lemon juice added to stop them from browning. Line a deep pie dish (approx. 23 cms in diameter) with the pastry.

Combine white and brown sugars, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon and rub a little of this mixture into the pastry lining. Add grated peels to the remaining sugar mixture. Cover bottom of the pastry shell with sliced apples and sprinkle with a few chopped sultanas and some of the sugar mixture. Repeat layers until the pie shell is very generously filled.

Sprinkle with orange juice; dot with butter and fit top crust over the apples, pressing the edges together. Cut slits in the top crust to release steam and bake in a moderate oven (180-200? C) for 35 to 40 minutes, or until apple is tender and crust is coloured.

Serve with slightly whipped cream (or Cheddar cheese as they might do in England!)