Easy Spelt Flour Apple Pie

Spelt easy apple pie a great wintery treat with vanilla ice cream. This apple pie is easier than you think to make you just need a little time and patience. The fresh apples are coated in a cinnamon caramel sauce and wrapped around a melt in your mouth shortcrust Spelt pastry or if you wish to swap back to regular flour. It's definitely worth the time and effort to create this homemade pie sweet treat.
Prep.= 2 hours
Baking = 50 mins
Serves = 6-8
Filling
- Granny smith or red Braeburn apples (I like a combination) – 6 peeled, cored, slice then sliced in half or diced whatever you prefer.
- Lemon Zest – 1 tsp
- Lemon juice –1-2 tbsp
- Dark Brown Sugar – 80g (just under 1/2 cup)
- White sugar – 80g (about 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp)
- Pinch salt
- Cinnamon – 1-2 tsp
- Cornflour – 2 tbsp
- Spelt/ plain flour – 2 tbsp
- Egg for brushing on top
- Granulated Sugar for sprinkling on top – 1 tsp
Easy Shortcrust Spelt Pastry - base and top
- White Spelt or Plain Flour – 500g (about 3 cups + 2 tbsp)
- Chilled Cubed Butter– 250g (about 1 cup)
- Castor sugar – 120g (about 1/2 cup)
- Egg Yolks – 2
- Chilled water – 3-5 tbsp
- Beaten egg for egg wash – 1
*a generous pie pastry with some leftovers.
Method
1.PREPARE apple filling peel and cut the apples in slices, squeeze with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
2. MIX sugars, spice and salt in a small bowl
3. COMBINE sliced or diced apples, lemon juice, lemon zest in a large bowl add sugar mix and stir through rest for 30 minutes.
4. DRAIN the liquid into a small saucepan. Heat until boiling 3-5 minutes. Then pour over the apples. Sprinkle over cornflour and spelt flour and mix through until there are no lumps.
5. PASTRY – gently combine the chilled butter and flour until it resembles small bread crumbs either use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer or use your hands. Add sugar and egg yolks, and a little water a tablespoon at a time. Depending on the type of flour you have used you may need more or less. Once it starts to form stop the mixer and lift out the dough onto a flour bench and form a ball with your hands. Divide the dough into two and chill for 30-60minutes. If you can wait, 60 minutes this is ideal.
6.PREHEAT oven 180˚C fan. Butter the pie dish or tart tin.
7.REMOVE the chilled dough from the refrigerator and start to roll out one of your pastry balls into a square shape more than 23cm, this will form the base of your pie.
8.CHILL this in the freezer for 15 minutes while you prepare the top.
9. LATTICE PIE TOP – roll out the second dough ball. Cut 1 inch stripes, Cut the dough into even strips, 1 cm to 1.5cm wide (about the width of your finger), depending on how thick you want your lattice strips. Use a dinner knife or use a pizza wheel or a pastry wheel if you have one. Use a ruler or straight edge as a guide. I am not perfect at this yet, and it still tastes great even if the pastry strips don't look perfect. You will need anything from 8 to 12 pieces for a small pie, depending on the thickness and how far apart you space them. My very first attempt I only manage to roll out a piece big enough for 8 strips and it still worked out. Lay 4-6 strips parallel one way on your filling and 4-6 the other way. Fold back every other strip to make a lattice/ criss-cross pattern. Trim off any excess, fold over the bottom pie shell layer and press the lattice strips to form the edge. If you are using a fluted pie shell, you don't need to worry about needing to form any fancy edge. Take your rolling pin and press your rolling pin back over the edge of your tart tin and the rolling pin will trim off the edges. You can watch the video for further instructions.
10. BRUSH the pie top with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Tip – place your pie dish on top of a baking tray (to catch any drips)
11. BAKE for 10 minutes at 180˚C to crisp and brown the top. Then remove and add foil to the top to prevent over browning at around 10-20 minute mark.
12. BAKE 40-45 minutes at 180˚C, you may need to drop down the oven temperature to 160˚C if your oven is too hot.
13. REST for at least an 1-2 hours before serving to let the apple filling set.
14. WARM slightly before serving if desired. Serve with vanilla ice cream.