Masterchef 2012 – Audra’s Apple Pie and Custard

Audra Morrice, Masterchef 2012 Finalist shares with us her Apple Pie and Custard recipe which she prepared for the Masterchef Magazine – Front Cover Challenge.

This homely pie encased in a buttery pastry  is ‘beautifully fragrant, with a sweet and slightly tart apple mix that spells all things delicious’, is one of Audra’s favourite family desserts.

Audra uses IL Baronello Vino Cotto in this recipe to soak the raisins which intensifies their flavour and softens their skin.

Here is what she has to say about our product.

“The wonderful folks at IL Baronello just outside Melbourne (www.vinocotto.com.au) stock some amazing products. This family has been making Vinocotto for many years now and have so much pride for what they do and so they should” – Audra M.

 

Apple Pie and Custard
Recipe courtesy of Audra Morrice.
Serves 10

Ingredients

300g plain flour
Pinch of salt
240g butter, cold and cubed
Ice-water
5 large apples (Granny Smith, Gala or Pink Lady), peeled, cored, halved and thinly sliced
100g raisins
3 tbsp Vino Cotto
1 large juicy orange zest and juice (optional + juice and zest of ½ lemon)
3 tbsp raw sugar
2 tbsp flour
½ – 1 tsp ground cinnamon
25g extra butter
1 egg, for egg wash

Method
Soak raisins in a small bowl with Vino Cotto for at least 30minutes, stir occasionally and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180C degree.
Lightly butter a pie dish or a 30cm flan dish.
Mix all the filling ingredients together (apples, raisins including the remaining Vino Cotto in bowl, juice, zest, sugar, cinnamon, flour). Set aside.

To make the pastry, place the flour, salt and butter in a blender and pulse until it resembles fine crumbs. While blending, slowly add enough ice-water until it comes together into a dough (about 50ml).
Gently bring together to form a flat disc, wrap with cling film and rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 2 portions, roll each out between two plastic sheets or baking paper to 3mm thickness. Line the pie dish with one.
Blind bake for 20-25 mins.
Cool the pastry slightly.
Fill the cooked pastry evenly with the apple mixture.
Place small knobs of butter evenly over the top of the fruit.
Cover with the other rolled out pastry, tucking well over the fruit towards the edges.
Pinch the edges of the pie to seal, make a hole (about 1.5cm wide) in the middle of the pie, brush with egg wash and bake for about an hour.
Remove from the oven, rest for 15 minutes and serve with vanilla ice-cream or home made runny custard.

Audra’s Runny Custard

Ingredients
500ml milk,
4 egg yolks,
100g caster sugar,
1 plump vanilla bean (seeds scraped and the whole lot, seeds and bean into the milk) or 1- 1 ½ tsp good quality vanilla extract.

Method
In a saucepan, scald the milk and vanilla ie bring it almost to the boil.
Using a bowl, whisk the eggyolks and sugar until pale, pour the warm milk in little by little, whisking continuously until well mixed.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and stir over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. To check, run your finger across the back of the spoon and if the line stays, the custard is ready.

Enjoy!

Visit Audra’s Blog: ww.audramorrice.com.au/cooking/apple-pie-custard/ for full recipe.
Audra runs a successful Catering business and Cooking Classes.  For further details, please visit
www.audramorrice.com.au

Buy the Vino Cotto you need for this recipe online. Click here.