Apple pie

If you are making the shortcrust pastry without a food processor, add half the total amount of flour, salt and sugar to a medium bowl. Mix in the butter, cut into cubes, just enough to cover the butter with the flour, sugar and salt mixture. Then mix with your hands until the whole mixture has a floury texture, similar to fresh bread crumbs. This is what it becomes after about 1 to 2 minutes of mixing. Add the remaining flour. Mix until the dough looks crumbly with pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle water over the mixture - start with 4 tablespoons and add from there. The crumbs should start to form larger clusters. If you tear off some of the dough and it sticks together, it''s ready. If the dough falls apart, add another 2 to 4 tablespoons of water and knead until the dough holds its shape. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a clean surface. Form the dough into a ball. Cut the ball in half and wrap it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the balls for at least one hour.

Take one of the dough balls out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 5 minutes. Lightly wet the work surface, the top of the dough and the rolling pin. Then roll out the dough with the rolling pin to the size of the baking tray you will use to bake the apple pie. You can check the size by inverting the pie dish over the round dough. To transfer the dough into the dish, start at one end, wrap the dough around the rolling pin and then roll it around the dish. Gently push the rolled out dough into the dish, so that it lines the base and sides of the dish. Take care not to pull or stretch the dough. Then, using a knife or kitchen scissors, trim the dough to about 1½ inches from the edge of the dish. Fold the edge of the dough underneath itself to create a thicker, 1/4-inch edge that lies on the edge of the dish. Then press the edges together by pressing the index finger of one hand against the edge of the dough on the inside of the dish, while gently pressing the outside with the two knuckles of the other hand. Refrigerate the dough for at least 20 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes before baking. If you are making a double crust pie, do not press the edges yet. Roll out the second dough round, fill the pie and spread the second dough round on top. Trim the edges and then press.

Peel the apples and then cut in half. Remove the cores and then slice the apple halves into thin slices, about half a centimetre thick. Place the apple slices in a very large bowl. Scatter the sugar, salt and spices over the apples and then mix with your hands to coat the apple slices as much as possible. Leave the apples at room temperature for an hour to release their juices.

Drain the apples and save the juice. Sprinkle cornstarch over the apples. Transfer most of the apples to the prepared bottom crust and use your hands to really pack them into the pie. Stuff the pie with the apples to the edge of the crust. If you have too many apples, save them. Pour the juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the dish over the apples. Be careful when adding the juices that the apple pie does not become too soggy. Slice a tablespoon of butter and spread it over the pie. Roll out the remaining dough and cut it into strips. Use the strips to make a grid pattern on the apple layer. Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water, then lightly brush over the prepared net.

Place the prepared pie on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and bake the pie for about 75 minutes, turning a few times to ensure even browning. If you notice that the pie crust is browning too quickly, form a large piece of foil and place it on top of the pie. The apple pie is baked when the juices are bubbling through the holes in the top crust. If you don''t see bubbles, the pie needs a little extra time.