Easy apple and carrot pie

Apples are one of my favourite fruits; if a dish features them, I am usually game.

THIS recipe is straightforward and easy to follow. It delivers consistently great results.

Ingredients

Four medium apples (peeled, cored and sliced into crescents);

One cup brown sugar (plus extra for sprinkling);

One cup grated carrots;

One cup raisins;

One cup plain (all-purpose) flour;

Half teaspoon mixed spice;

One teaspoon lemon rind, grated;

Half lemon, freshly squeezed juice;

Two sheets ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (or two pastry balls);

One egg, lightly beaten (for egg wash)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas mark 6). Lightly grease a pie dish.
2. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, mixed spice and raisins. Stir well and set aside.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the lemon rind and lemon juice. Peel, core and slice your apples into thin crescents. Toss the slices immediately into the lemon mixture to prevent browning.
4. Add the lemon-coated apple slices to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Finally, fold in the grated carrots until the mixture is evenly combined.
5. Roll out your first pastry sheet and lay it into the prepared pie dish, pressing gently into the edges. Trim any major overhang but leave a small border. Pour the apple and carrot mixture into the crust.
6. Roll out the second piece of pastry and cut it into long, even strips. Lay the strips over the filling in a lattice pattern (criss-crossing them like a woven mat).
7. Trim the excess pastry from the edges and crimp the borders with a fork to seal. Brush the top of the pastry strips with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
8. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
9. Transfer the dish to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes to allow the filling to set.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

 

Tip: If you find the crust is browning too quickly before the 40 minutes are up, loosely cover the edges with a strip of aluminium foil to protect them. — Zimbokitchen