If you ever come in the Netherlands and don’t try apple pie is like going to Greece and not trying baklava; it’s really a shame. Apple pie is for Dutch people the most well-known dessert, everyone knows a recipe coming from their ‘oma’  (grandma), you can find it in every cafe, restaurant, super markets.. everywhere! The ingredients are simple and easy to find and the taste is great! Most of the times they serve it with whipped creme, if possible having the pie still warm!

the recipe

ingredients

for the dough

• 280gr. self raising flour
• 150gr. cow milk butter
• 1 egg
• 75gr. sugar
• 1tbsp. water
• 1/2tsp. salt

for the filling

• 750gr. red apples
• 70gr. raisins
• 2tbsp. lemon juice
• 2tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3tsp. clove
• 25gr. sugar
• 2tsp. cognac

for the covering

• 2tbsp. apricot jam which you will mix with 2tbsp. cognac

directions

for the dough

• Put the flour in a big bowl and create a hole in it with your hands.
• Put in the hole the butter cut in pieces, the egg, sugar, salt and water.
• Start mixing with your hand the ingredients in the hole and little by little start adding some of the flour until you used it all.
• Knead for 1′-2′, you should have in the end a soft dough. Cover with cling film and let it rest in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

for the filling

• Peel the apples and cut them in small pieces (size of a big walnut). Put them in a bowl.
• Add all the rest ingredients of the filling and mix well with a table spoon.

getting ready..

• Preheat your oven in 180 degrees and cover with butter a round pan 24cm. with a removable bottom.
• Take the dough out of the fridge, keep aside 1/4 of it and spread the rest in the pan using your hands. Put the dough in the middle of the pan and keep pushing to the outside until it reaches and ‘climbs’ in the edge of the pan. It should be 4cm. high.
• Put above the dough the filling and spread it well.
• Take the 1/4 dough which was left aside and using your hands make thin dough sticks (as thick as a small carrot). Place the sticks above the filling trying to knit it (as it is shown in the picture right above).
• Finally, if you want add the jam covering at this point, when the pie is still raw. I like it this way as it gets nicely caramelized when it’s baked. According to the Dutch recipe you should put it when the pie is ready and gets out of the oven.
• Bake for 40′-45′ depending on your oven and..

Enjoy!

Tip!

If you even visit Amsterdam don;t forget to drop by Winkel 43 for some lekker appeltaart!!!