APPLE AND SPICE PIE - 1920s style

[also Apple and Mutton Pie]

“Roll out some pastry the size of a dinner plate and put on a greased plate” I think they mean a baking tray or maybe one of those old enamel plates. It will have to be a baking sheet for me. 

 “cut up 1lb of apples, add 2 oz sugar, ½ lb currants, 1 heaped teaspoon of ground mixed spice and some finely chopped lemon peel”.

That sounds easy.

“Roll out another piece of pastry the size of a dessert plate, place on mixture, press the edges of the two pastries together and crimp them with a fork. Bake in a moderate oven”.

I used my regular Rough Puff pastry, as given many times on my Blog:- 12 oz Plain flour, salt, 3 oz hard block [stork] margarine, 3 oz lard, mixed with very cold water, then rested in the fridge for at least half an hour. [see Pasties for more details]

Modern notes:

I had a bowl of lemon juice and water handy when chopping the apple, to stop the fruit going brown.  Before crimping, I did brush the edge with some beaten egg, also the top of the crust before baking. I also crimped with my fingers, like a pasty rather than a fork. Then put a little slit in the centre to let out the steam. I bet it is just as scrummy using different sugars eg light muscovado.

Real easy - and VERY Cornish. Very delicious too!!!

Another winner from my 1920s Cornish Recipes [this pie was from the Truro area] but hang on….. don’t you see TV chefs, making flat pies with this method? What goes around comes around, they say!!

Apple and Mutton Pie.

As above but adding ¼ lb mutton and 1 finely chopped onion. Surely they leave out the sugar and spice? The Squab Pie was enough for me. I will leave this to your imaginations!