Classic apple pie

Is there anything more comforting than a slice of this traditional favourite with a dollop of cream? We'll take a large piece, please! - by Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

• 180g butter, chopped, softened

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2/3 cup caster sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 3/4 cups plain flour, sifted

• 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted

• Extra self-raising flour, for dusting

• 6 Granny Smith apples

• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

• Extra butter, melted, for greasing

• 2 Tbsp almond meal

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground cloves

• Extra 2 tsp plain flour

• Thickened cream or vanilla ice-cream, to serve

Note: Allow 30 minutes chilling.

Method

Put butter, vanilla and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a large bowl and beat, using an electric mixer, until light and creamy. Separate 1 of the eggs and add yolk to mixture, reserving eggwhite. Add remaining egg and beat until well combined. Add flours and stir until well combined. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Divide mixture in half and form each portion into a 2cm-thick disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
Meanwhile, peel and core apples, then thinly slice and put in a large bowl. Cover with water and add lemon juice.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush a 22cm, 3.5cm-deep loose-bottomed fluted flan tin with melted butter. Roll out 1 pastry disc between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick and large enough to line prepared tin. Line tin with pastry, leaving overhang. Sprinkle almond meal over base of shell. Drain apple, pat dry with paper towel and return to bowl. Add zest, spices, extra plain flour and 1 Tbsp of the sugar. Toss to combine. Spoon into shell.
Roll remaining pastry disc between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick and large enough to cover top of pie. Lay pastry over pie, covering apple, and seal edges. Trim overhang. Whisk reserved eggwhite and use to brush top of pie. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Put pie on an oven tray and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C and bake for a further 25 minutes or until pastry is golden and cooked. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with cream or vanilla ice-cream.