Apple Pie!

There's something very comfort-food about apple pie, and none more so than this one. I think it's the little bit of custard powder and cornflour in the crust which gives it that bakery texture.

Australian Woman’s Weekly Cookbook Apple Pie Recipe

PASTRY
1.5 cups plain flour
.75 cups SR flour
.33 cup cornflour
.33 cup Custard powder
1 tablespoon sugar
185g butter
1egg yolk
.33 cup water
1 egg


FILLING
7 large ‘Granny Smith’ apples (really sharp green apples)
.5 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
.5 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
I add a few cloves as well for a really exotic taste

2 tablespoons apricot jam

PASTRY: sift flour and custard powder into bowl and rub in butter and add sugar make well in centre and add egg yolk and enough water to mix to a firm dough and knead lightly cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (you can freeze it if you prefer, for pretty much as long as you need)roll out half pastry put in pie dish (28cm) and spread with apricot jam then fill with apple fillingroll out remaining pastry and brush edges with lightly beaten egg white and cover pie press edges together, trim, brush top with eggwhite and sprinkle with sugar and cut steam vents Bake in mod hot oven for 20 - 30 minutes.

FILLING filling peel quater and core apples cut up and put in a pan with water sugar cinnamon and zest cook for 5 mins or until just tender drain cool to room temp (take out the cloves and the peel before you fill the pie!).

Never Fail Chocolate Cake

Ok Keda, here it is!

I have been making this cake since I was about 6yrs old and as the name suggests, it never fails. It originally came from the 1980 St Gerards Primary school cookbook (the school next to my primary school) and was contributed by a Mrs Gwen Ilic, bless her. The page is covered in chocolate cake, which is further proof of what a favourite it is. It is incredibly easy and makes a beautifully moist rich chocolate cake without being too heavy or sickly, allowing you to go back for that second or third cupcake hehehe. The mix makes enough for two cakes to be sandwiched or a deep round or probably 18 cupcakes. Next tasting will be at the kids 3rd birthday party, unless Keda whips one up first ;) .

2 1/4 cups S.R Flour
1 tsp bi carb
2/3 cups cocoa
1 3/4 cups castor sugar
5oz butter (141g) that's how old the recipe is
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

Sift dry ingredients into mixer bowl. Add softened butter, water and vanilla. Beat on med for 3mins. Add eggs, increase speed for further 3 mins. Pour into well greased tin/s and bake in mod oven. Enjoy!