I’ve been going a little crazy with the apples. The two young trees in our small city garden (a Bramley, because you have to, and a James Grieve) are bent low with fruit. Friends arrive from the country, or from their own corners of the city, with more bags of apples. The whole house smells of them.
I’ve juiced them and stirred them into cakes and puddings. At night, I let the dog out, turn on the dishwasher, lock up the house and spoon another batch of cooked apples into their muslin hammocks so they can drip drip drip their juice into bowls, to be made into herb jellies in the morning.
Friends arrive with apples.
And twice now, I’ve made this pie. It comes from TheSilver Palate Cookbook, an enormous favourite of mine, picked up on a trip to America in the 80s and now falling apart from decades of love and overuse.
I’m terribly keen on the cosy look of lattice-topped pie, something that would look good cooling on Laura Ingalls’ window sill in Walnut Grove. I could try and tell you how to do it here, but it would go on for ages and we might fall out. What you need is something from YouTube like this (if only for the use of the word ‘cattywampus’ at 8.05). For happiness, try to banish from the kitchen anyone who might be inclined to chip in with ‘You’re doing it wrong!’ at any stage.
Silver Palate Sour-Cream Apple Pie
Making the lattice.
This makes a deep pie with a tender crust – as it cooks, the topping bubbles and melts into caramelised lusciousness under the pretty lattice. Serve it warm or at room temperature with thick cream, clotted cream or good vanilla ice cream.
I’ve metric’d the ingredients here, because we’re not actually in Walnut Grove, and I link here to the methodfrom epicurious.I used a mixture of James Grieve apples and Cox’s Orange Pippins – you don’t really want the fluffiness of Bramleys here. I like to toast the walnuts very lightly in the oven before mixing them into the topping, about 5-6 minutes on an oven tray at 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4 should do it.
For the crust:
320g plain flour 60g caster sugar ¾ tsp salt ¾ tsp ground cinnamon 90g butter, chilled and cut into small cubes 90g lard, chilled and cut into small cubes 4-6 tbsps chilled apple juice or water
For the filling: 5-7 tart apples 160ml sour cream 75g caster sugar or vanilla sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten ¼ tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 tbsp plain flour
For the topping:
3 tbsps light muscovado sugar 3 tbsps granulated or demerara sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 120g shelled walnuts (see note in introduction), roughly chopped
Love and a Licked Spoon is written by Debora Robertson, food writer, editor, enthusiastic kitchen botherer and optimistic planter of pretty and edible things. She lives in north London with her husband Séan, a dog, a cat and a mountain of cookbooks and seed catalogues. She is ideologically opposed to rectangular plates.
Her latest book, Declutter: The get-real guide to creating calm from chaos was published by Kyle Books in 2018.
Dogs' Dinners: The healthy, happy way to feed your dog was published by Pavillion Books in 2018.
Gifts from the Garden: 100 Gorgeous Homegrown Presents, was published by Kyle Books in 2012.
View all posts by @lickedspoon
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8 thoughts on “My favourite apple pie”
I hope you give it a go D – though I'm sure your own pie is quite delicious. x
Oh snap! I just made an apple pie BEFORE I saw your post. I wish I'd seen this first. Ironically, our house is in Walnut Grove. It just happens to be the one in Devon. Gorgeous pie, this is going on my 'To Bake' list.
Yes, certainly there's an American edition and most of the things I use are very widely available. There may be a couple of things you might have to buy on line, depending on where you live, but most of it can be found in the supermarket, at the pharmacy or health food store. If you have any problems, message me here or on twitter (@lickedspoon) and I'll be very happy to help!
Thank-You and yes, I will let you know how it turns out…I have always wanted to make soap so this will be my first go at it as it looks easy enough for even me to do! 🙂 I would also like to buy your book…Gifts from the Garden..being from the US will I be able to find most of the ingredients, etc. that you list in the book? Thanks again!
Hello Christina, Thank you for your message. You certainly can leave out the marigold petals if you don't have them. If you like, up the oats a little bit – they're very soothing at this time of year, good for dry winter skin. Let me know how you get on! DX
Hello Deborah, I was not sure how to contact you with a question regarding a soap recipe so I hope this works. Can I omit the calendula petals in your calendula, honey and oatmeal soap or will it not set up without the extra ingredient? I don't have any dried petals at this time. Thank-you and btw…this apple pie looks scrumptious! 🙂
Debora Robertson 
I hope you give it a go D – though I'm sure your own pie is quite delicious. x
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Terrific. I hope you enjoy it Chris. And a very happy autumn to you too, DX
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Oh snap! I just made an apple pie BEFORE I saw your post. I wish I'd seen this first. Ironically, our house is in Walnut Grove. It just happens to be the one in Devon. Gorgeous pie, this is going on my 'To Bake' list.
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Perfect! Thank-you! I'll look forward to your book!
Happy Fall!
Chris
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Yes, certainly there's an American edition and most of the things I use are very widely available. There may be a couple of things you might have to buy on line, depending on where you live, but most of it can be found in the supermarket, at the pharmacy or health food store. If you have any problems, message me here or on twitter (@lickedspoon) and I'll be very happy to help!
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Thank-You and yes, I will let you know how it turns out…I have always wanted to make soap so this will be my first go at it as it looks easy enough for even me to do! 🙂
I would also like to buy your book…Gifts from the Garden..being from the US will I be able to find most of the ingredients, etc. that you list in the book?
Thanks again!
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Hello Christina, Thank you for your message. You certainly can leave out the marigold petals if you don't have them. If you like, up the oats a little bit – they're very soothing at this time of year, good for dry winter skin. Let me know how you get on! DX
LikeLike
Hello Deborah,
I was not sure how to contact you with a question regarding a soap recipe so I hope this works. Can I omit the calendula petals in your calendula, honey and oatmeal soap or will it not set up without the extra ingredient? I don't have any dried petals at this time.
Thank-you and btw…this apple pie looks scrumptious! 🙂
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