Thick slices of apple coated in caramel make this dish lip-smacking!

Ingredients: (Serves 6-8)

• ½ recipe basic crust
• 8 cooking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thickly
• 35 g (1¼ oz) plain flour
• 280 g (10 oz) granulated sugar
• 60 ml (4 tablespoons) water
• 140 g (5 oz) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 100 g (3½ oz) plain flour
• 55 g (2 oz) light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5. Roll out the pastry dough and line a 24-cm (9½-inch) pie dish. Crimp the edge decoratively and chill in the refrigerator. Place the apple slices in a large bowl with the flour. Toss to coat evenly and set aside. Combine the granulated sugar and water in a medium, heavy-based saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring and let the mixture come to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes, occasionally swirling the liquid around the saucepan. When the mixture has turned dark amber, remove from the heat. Cool for a few minutes, then add 3 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons water. Swirl to melt the butter and combine. Return to the heat and stir until smooth.

Pour the caramel over the apples and toss to coat evenly. Set aside for 10 minutes, while the apples release their juices. To prepare the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, rub the remaining 6 tablespoons butter into the flour mixture, until large clumps form. To assemble the pie, remove the crust from the refrigerator. Spoon the caramel-apple mixture into the piecrust. Sprinkle the crumble over the apples. Bake the pie for 1 hour, or until the apples are soft and the crumb topping is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.