Apple Quince Leaf Pie
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
For pastry
- 240g/8.8ozs. butter, cold
- 2.5 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoon of vodka (or thereabouts, add more if it needs it)
For filling:
- 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 quince, peeled, cored and chopped
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg yolk
Step 1 - Make pastry by adding butter, flour and sugar to a large food processor. Process until combined. Then add sour cream and vodka and blitz until it resembles crumbs. Knead it on a clean, floured surface and shape into two balls. Cover with cling film and rest for 1-2 hours. In winter you don't need to refrigerate it and you can leave it on the benchtop.
Step 2 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Roll out one of the rounds and place into a large pie dish. Trim the edges and cover and refrigerate until needed.
Step 3 - Mix all of the filling ingredients except for the egg yolk together and place in the prepared pie tin and place back in the fridge while you cut out the shapes. Roll out the second round and using leaf and flower cutters and a paring knife cut out shapes. I find it easiest to cut out lots of shapes first and then decide where to place them. Mix a tablespoon of water with the egg yolk and brush the edges of the pie. Attach the flowers and leaves and brush with the egg yolk mixture. Bake for 10 minutes at 200C/400F and then reduce heat to 190C/374F and bake for another 40 minutes or so until the filling is done. Serve with cream or ice cream.