“When I think of my grandmother (Gampie to us) I think of matching silk twin-set suits, silk head scarves, blouses and brandy.
Paula Thompson was a walking piece of art. Men fell in love with her; she was cool and hilarious at the same time; she was petite and cheeky. She was the hostess with the mostest, and was very popular with younger generations, as she was often the last man standing at a party. She was fashionable at all times and was a true bohemian who truly adored her grandchildren.
She loved food, and travelled a lot, and cooked when she had the chance. Her ability to knock up an apple pie in the blink of an eye made her the envy of her friends. Gampie loved to cook this as the prep time vs delight it brings is minimal. She loved it because you could chop apples hap-hazardly and throw the pastry together. She would much prefer to entertain than be in the kitchen at a gathering.
My fondest memories with her were spending balmy summer afternoons in her tiny apartment in Rose Bay (Sydney), watching the tennis, eating lady finger biscuits, musk sweets, melted chocolate ice-cream and lemonade.”
Founder of Polka Pants, Maxine Thompson, Australia/UK
Feeds 8–10
Ingredients
For the pastry
400g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
2 tbsp caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
250g butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp cold water
1 egg, beaten (to glaze)
good pinch of salt
For the filling
5oz golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tsp ground cinnamon
600g cooking apples, peeled, cored, roughly chopped into pieces
Method
For the pastry, place the flour, sugar and lemon zest into a bowl with a pinch of salt and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and 2 tbsp cold water and stir with a round-bladed knife until the mixture forms a dough.
Set aside ⅓ of the pastry for the lid.
For the bottom of the pie you can use the traditional method of rolling out the pastry dough on a floured surface, or you can grate the dough directly into the pie dish and press it firmly into the sides (this is a less fussy way of creating the base and less frustrating!). If using the rolling method, roll out the remaining pastry on a lightly floured surface until the thickness of a pound coin and 5–7cm larger than the pie dish. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and lower it gently into the pie dish.
Press the pastry firmly into the dish and up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles. Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Place a baking tray into the oven to preheat.
For the filling, mix the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the apples.
Place the apple filling into the pie dish, making sure that it rises above the edge. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg.
Roll out the reserved ball of pastry. Cover the pie with the pastry and press the edges together firmly to seal. Using a sharp knife, trim off the excess pastry, then gently crimp all around the edge. Make a few small holes in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top with beaten egg.
Sprinkle the pie with sugar and bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes – 1 hour (oven depending) or golden-brown all over and the apples are tender.
Serve with a generous helping of vanilla ice- cream, custard or clotted cream (or all three!) and a glass of brandy.