Frieda's Apple Pie "Appelvlaai"

- make 1 day ahead -

Ingredients for the crust:

• 300 g self rising flour (our 300 g plain flour with the correct amount of baking powder mixed in)
• 110 g butter, cut into pieces (soft, at room temperature)
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup of milk (at room temperature)
• 1 package of vanilla sugar (standard 8 gram envelope)
• pinch of salt
• pie pan, 24-26 cm diameter (~ 10 inch) and 2-3 cm high ((~ 1 inch); traditionally, a thin pie pan is used that has ribbed/fluted side walls that lean outward.

Ingredients for the filling

• 1 kg apples (about 700 g when peeled)
• 110 g crystal sugar
• 1 cup of raisins, soaked in hot water; drained
• 12 amaretti (classic Italian almond cookies, "bitterkoekjes"), diced; in a pinch, Frank has used 120 g of crumbled almond paste instead.
• ½-1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest (or 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2-3 tablespoons cointreau, or cognac/brandy, or dark rum - per your preference

Instructions:

• soak the raisins in the alcohol of your choice
• quarter and peel the apples
• cut each apple quarter lengthwise into 4-6 slices and put in large bowl
• add lemon zest (or lemon juice) and toss or fold to mix
• add the raisins and crumbled amaretti (or the crumbled almond paste) and toss or fold to mix
• mix sugar and cinnamon
• add and toss or fold to mix, such that all pieces evenly coated
• note that the sugar will draw liquid from the apples.
• pre-heat oven to 175 °C (350 °F)
• in a bowl, combine all ingredients for the crust
• knead into a smooth, elastic dough, by hand or with kitchen machine with dough hook (about 5 minutes)
• dough should not be sticky; if sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time and knead until well absorbed
• split dough • + •
• roll out the • dough ball sufficiently to cover the pie pan bottom and slightly overhang the sides grease the pie pan with butter
• transfer to the pie pan and prick with a fork in about 15 spots
• evenly fill the pie pan with the apple slices, careful not to transfer the drained liquid
• roll out the • dough ball fairly thinly, large enough to fully cover the pie pan plus some
• overhang
• cover the pie with this, join the side and top dough, and remove overhanging dough
• with scissors, snip about a dozen or so vent holes in the top of the pie
• brush the entire top with some milk and evenly sprinkle sugar over it
• bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, until dark golden
• may serve with a dusting of powdered sugar
• keeps for days (but won't last that long!)
• best the day after baked. [Recipe by Frieda Dörenberg-Hermans]