Autumn Recipes

Apple Pie

Nothing says cosy more than a fresh apple pie. Try them in puff pastry to make your own apple turnovers!!

For the pastry

• 400g/14oz plain flour, plus extra rolling
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 250g/10oz cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 free-range egg, beaten with 2 tbsp cold water, plus 1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze

For the filling

• 150g/5½oz golden caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 600g/1lb 5oz Bramley cooking apples, peeled, cored, sliced
• Method
• 1. For the pastry, put the flour, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and stir with a round-bladed knife until the mixture forms a dough.
• 2. Set aside one-third of the pastry for the lid. Roll out the remaining pastry on a lightly floured surface until the thickness of a pound coin and 5–7cm/2–3in larger than the pie dish. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and lower it gently into the pie dish.
• 3. Press the pastry firmly into the dish and up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles. Chill the pastry in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place a baking tray into the oven to preheat.
• 5. For the filling, mix the sugar, cinnamon and cornflour in a large bowl. Stir in the apples until coated.
• 6. Put the apple filling in the pie dish, making sure that it rises above the sides of the dish (particularly in the middle). Brush the rim of the pastry with beaten egg.
• 7. Roll out the reserved ball of pastry to make the pie lid. Cover the pie with the pastry lid and press the edges together firmly to seal.
• 8. Using a sharp knife, trim off the excess pastry, then gently crimp all around the edge. Make a few small holes in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife or a skewer. Glaze the top with beaten egg.
• 9. Lightly knead the pastry trimmings and re-roll. Cut into leaf shapes and arrange all around the edge of the pie, slightly overlapping each other. Glaze with more egg.
• 10. Sprinkle the pie with sugar and bake in the centre of the oven for 45–55 minutes or until golden-brown all over and the apples are tender.

Cinnamon Rolls

I don't know about you, but I LOVE cinnamon rolls, especially when they are warm in cold icing sugar.

For the dough

• 400g/14oz strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
• 100g/3½oz wholemeal flour
• 50g/1¾oz soft light brown sugar
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
• 300ml/½ pint whole milk, at hand temperature
• 1 large free-range egg
• 50g/1¾oz very soft unsalted butter, diced, plus extra for greasing
• vegetable oil, for greasing

For the cinnamon filling

• 200g/7oz soft light brown sugar
• 125g/4½oz soft unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp plain or strong flour

For the cream cheese icing

• 100g/3½oz full fat cream cheese
• 25g/1oz very soft unsalted butter
• 125g/4½oz icing sugar, sifted
• ½ tsp vanilla paste or extract
• Method
• 1. Put the flours, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, and give a quick stir to combine. Add the milk and egg and knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add the butter, a lump at a time, and once all the butter has been worked into the dough, knead for another 10 minutes. You can knead by hand but expect the process to take longer.
• 2. Lightly grease a large, clean bowl with a little oil, add the dough and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour, then put the bowl in the fridge and leave overnight.
• 3. The next day, lightly grease a baking tin roughly 20 x 30cm/8 x 12in (or a little larger) with butter and line the base with baking parchment.
• 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the cold dough out to a 45cm/18in square. Mash together the cinnamon filling ingredients, then spread evenly over the dough. Roll up the dough into a tight sausage and cut into 12 equal slices. Place the slices, cut-side up, in the prepared tin and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave for 1 hour at room temperature until the buns have puffed up (they won’t double in size).
• 5. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Bake the buns for 18–25 minutes until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool.
• 6. For the icing, mash the cream cheese and butter together, then beat in the icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. For a glossy glaze leave at room temperature, or refrigerate for a firmer frosting-style finish. Spread generously over the cooled buns.

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