Sunday Apple Pie

What do you do on a rainy Sunday, when going outside is about as attractive as filling in the tax forms?

Why, you bake apple pie, of course. And that's just what I did yesterday (tax forms aren't due until April 1 anyway).

I started with Martha Stewart's pate brisee for the crust (but using my hands instead of a food processor, because my limited cupboard space will not stretch to holding big machines) and a pink cake pan.

Then I blind-baked it with chickpeas...


... filled the (dramatically shrunken) crust with grated apple filling...


And thirty-three minutes later (and a great cinnamon scent for my house) later, I had apple pie.

Not the best (or prettiest) apple pie ever, but mighty tasty as dessert after Deb's wonderful, luscious mushroom bourguignon.

Grated Apple Pie

Adapted from Marie Claire De Ultieme Keuken by Michele Cranston

Makes 1 pie

1 pie crust (try this one, it looks good), pre-baked
2 large, slightly tart apples, grated coarsely
juice and zest from half a juicy lemon
1 tsp of cinnamon
pinch of grated all spice
100 gr of butter
115 gr of sugar (vanilla sugar is good)
2 eggs

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Melt the butter with the sugar in a thick-bottomed pan, until the sugar has dissolved and the caramel is a light golden color. Leave to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, mix the apple with the lemon juice and zest, cinnamon and allspice. Add the caramel to the apple and mix thoroughly. Add the eggs and mix.

Pour the apple mix in the pre-baked crust and bake for thirty minutes or until filling has almost completely set. Leave to cool to room temperature before serving.