Homemade Irish Apple Pie

Ingredients​​​​​​​​​​​

• 2 cups plain all purpose flour
• Pinch salt
• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• ¼ cup lard, shortening
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 900g cooking, tart apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 45ml/ 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 45ml/ 3 tablespoons milk
• Cream or custard to serve

​
Method

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl then using your finger tips rub in the butter or margarine and the lard or shortening until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs

.
Add enough of the cold water to form firm dough.

Roll out ¾ of the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 20 cm/ 8 inch pie plate.

Cover with the apples and place in the cloves and sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar.

Roll out the remaining pastry and use to cover the pie moistening the edges to seal the lid.

Flute the edges and decorate with the trimmings of the pastry.

Cut a vent in the top of the pie and brush the top with milk.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C gas mark 6 for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

​

Serve with ice-cream.