My parents are decidedly not American. Aside from being born in New York and having lived there on and off for a total of fourteen years, I feel like I can barely claim the title myself, though I do have the accent. Growing up, I envied my American friends: their brown paper bag lunches, chocolate chip cookies, and apple pie.

One day, when I begged my mother to make apple pie, she said “no problem,” and a couple of hours later out of the kitchen came her traditional (and always delicious) Royal Apple Cake, which was decidedly not a pie.

Frustrated, I started experimenting. I found a recipe in a Mrs Fields — she of cookie fame — cookbook. She was all-American, and thus I figured so would be her pie. It took me countless attempts. This was back in the day before YouTube, and Mrs Fields, for all her know-how, was light on the instructions.

After months of trials and many errors, one Friday night I gloriously presented the apple pie to my mother, who, in her signature style, said this had been her plan all along: to get me to make the apple pie!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 recipe Flaky Pie Dough

Filling:

• 5–6 Bramley apples (or baking apple of your choice), peeled and thinly sliced, equalling about 4 cups
• 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 45 g (1/4 cup) corn starch
• 55 g (1/4 cup) butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Egg Wash:

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1-3 tablespoon white sugar

METHOD:

1. Prepare the pie crust: Chill the dough in the fridge until firm, about 45 minutes and up to two days.
2. Combine the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and corn starch. Add the sliced apples and toss until completely coated.
3. Preheat the oven: Heat to 200°C/400°F.
4. Roll out the bottom crust: On a floured surface, or between two sheets of parchment paper, roll one piece of dough into a 25–26 cm circle. Transfer to a 23 cm pie plate and trim, leaving a 1 cm overhang.
5. Add the filling: Spoon the apple mixture into the crust and scatter the butter/or alternative over the top.
6. Roll out the top crust: Roll the second piece of dough into a 25 cm circle. Lay it over the filling and crimp the edges to seal.
7. Brush and vent: Brush the top with beaten egg, cut steam slits, and sprinkle with sugar.
8. Bake the pie: Place on the centre rack and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. If the pie is browning too fast, lightly cover with aluminium foil.
9. Cool the pie: Remove from the oven and cool completely on a rack.

MAKE AHEAD:

• Up to 2 days ahead: Prepare the dough and keep it chilled in the fridge.
• Up to 1 day ahead: Assemble the full pie (unbaked), cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate. Bake straight from the fridge, adding an extra 10–15 minutes to the bake time.
• Up to 3 months ahead (freezer): Assemble the pie but do not egg-wash it. Wrap well in two layers (cling film and foil) and freeze. Bake from frozen at 200°C for 20 minutes, then reduce to 180°C and continue baking for 40–50 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Add egg wash halfway through baking if desired.

STORAGE:

• Room temperature: Keeps well for 2 days, loosely covered with foil or a clean tea towel.
• Refrigerator: Keeps for 4–5 days, covered. The crust will soften slightly; warm slices in a low temperature oven for a few minutes to refresh.
• Freezer (fully baked): Keeps for up to 3 months. Cool the pie completely, then wrap tightly in two layers (plastic and foil). Reheat from frozen at 180°C for 20–30 minutes, until the centre is warm and the crust is crisp.