Viennese apple pie

Viennese cuisine is best known for its pastries but also includes a wide range of other unique dishes. Traditionally, this apple pie would use a dessert apple for continental Europe, but in Britain the Bramley is commonly used because it is recognised as a superior cooking apple.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Serves: 8-10

What you need:

• 50g/2oz sultanas
• 3 tbsp dark rum
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 50g/2oz ground almonds
• 175g/6oz butter
• 150g/5oz caster sugar
• grated zest and juice 1 lemon
• 1 egg, separated
• 675g/1½ lb Bramley apples
• 25g/1oz walnuts, chopped
• 50g/2oz sponge fingers, crumbled
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• a little granulated sugar to sprinkle on top

What you do:

A buttery, lemon-scented pastry, filled with fluffy apples and rum soaked sultanas, make this a hard to beat apple pie. Serve it warm or cold in dainty wedges dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon, if it takes your fancy.

1. Mix the sultanas and rum together and set aside to soak. Mix the flour and almonds together then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Stir in the 50g of the sugar and lemon zest
2. Mix the egg yolk with the lemon juice and stir into the dry ingredients and mix to make a firm dough. Chill for 30 minutes
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/ 350°F/Gas Mark 4. Peel, core and slice the apples, place in a bowl, add the remaining sugar, walnuts, sponge fingers, cinnamon and soaked sultanas
4. Roll out two thirds of the pastry on a floured surface and use to line a 20cm round loose-based sandwich tin, allow the pastry to hang over the edges. Spoon in the
5. Bramley apple mixture and press it down firmly. Roll out the remaining pastry, use the tin as a guide to cut out a circle to form a lid then roll over the excess pastry to make a neat seam on top of the pie. Make a steam hole in the centre of the pie
6. Whisk the egg white until frothy then brush over the top of the pie. Sprinkle with the granulated sugar and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
7. Leave to cool and serve warm in wedges with cream

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