Patchwork orchard pie

Serve this lattice-topped, shortcrust pasty warm with custard – if you don’t have quinces make up the weight with apples or pears

  • Prep:30 mins
    Cook:1 hrs 10 mins
  • Serves 8
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 384
  • fat 17g
  • saturates 6g
  • carbs 54g
  • sugars 32g
  • fibre 5g
  • protein 4g
  • salt 0.6g

Ingredients

  • 1½ kg mix of quinces, cooking apples and pears (we used 5 Bramley apples, 2 Conference pears and 2 quinces), peeled, cored and sliced
  • 25g butter
  • 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways, seeds scraped out
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • juice 1 lemon
  • 100g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 375g pack sweet shortcrust pastry
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • custard, to serve (optional)

Method

  1. Put the quinces in a large saucepan with the butter, vanilla pod and seeds, cinnamon and 2 tbsp water. Cover and cook for 5 mins over a medium heat. Add the apples, lemon juice and sugar, cover again and cook for a further 10 mins.

  2. Add the pears and flour, and cook, uncovered, for 5 mins more stirring occasionally to stop the flour from sticking. The fruit should now be soft, but still holding its shape.

  3. Remove the vanilla pod and transfer the fruit to a deep 22cm pie dish. Leave to cool. The fruit can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.

  4. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Trim the edges, then cut into rough triangles or squares. Brush a little egg around the edge of the dish and all over the pastry pieces. Starting from the outside, layer the pastry in a patchwork style, leaving a few little gaps for the fruit to poke through. Trim any overhanging edges and sprinkle liberally with caster sugar. Bake for 45-50 mins until the pastry is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. Serve warm with custard, if you like.

Suggested recipes from this collection...