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Bramley apple and Blackberry pie

21st October 2012 by Regula 23 Comments

Today is apple day.

In 1809 a young girl, Mary Ann Brailsford, planted a few pips in her garden in Southwell. Those pips grew into the apple tree that is responsible for one of Britains most beloved fruit.
Forty years later a local butcher bought Mary Ann’s cottage and garden, after a decade of enjoying the trees fruits a nurseryman from the area asked him if he could sell some of the apples from the tree in his garden. The butcher agreed but wanted the apples to bear his name… Bramley.

Bramley’s seedling were an important source of food during the First World War as during the 1900s the trees were extensively planted and the crop plenty.
Every single Bramley apple tree has come from the tree planted in that cottage garden in Nottinghamshire.

The tree was almost lost forever when in 1900 a destructive storm knocked it over, leaving it wounded on the grounds of the garden where he had grown and grown for nearly a hundred years. But from the old wood of the tree emerged a new one and it grew to be the monument we can see today.
The Bramley apple tree in Southwell has become the towns treasure and they host many celebrations of the Bramley Apple, there even is ‘The Bramley apple Inn’ which is located just a few doors away from where the original Bramley apple tree still grows his apples to this day.

The lady who lives in the cottage now, acquired the house from Mr Bramley 50 years ago and has cared for the tree ever since.

Bramley apples are gorgeous in pies, tarts and traditional British puddings, simply covered in shortcrust pastry or with custard. Bramleys are also good to use in cakes, chutneys, jams, compote, orchard sauce to accompany pork and for cider making.
For this pie I chose for the classic apple and blackberry combination. The blackberries are added at the end so they give texture and color to the dish. 

Do you want to know more?
Why not pay a visit to Brogdale farm in Kent, home to the ‘National fruit collection’.
They
host an Apple festival and a Cider festival every year. If you have an
apple tree in your garden and you think this might be a very old
variety, you can send in a sample and they will investigate the fruit.
www.brogdalecollections.co.uk

Bramley apple and Blackberry pie
 
Sweet Shortcrust pastry

What do you need:
500 g plain flour
100 g icing sugar
250 g cold butter cut into small cubes
half a teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large free-range eggs
1 teaspoon milk

  • Sieve the flour and icing sugar on to a work surface or into a large bowl.
  • Throw the cubes of butter into the flour and using a knife start cutting them into even smaller pieces mixing it with the flour and sugar. This is a trick I use to keep the butter as cold as possible, if you touch the butter it melts quicker.
  • To create good Shortcrust pastry your butter should be kept cold and your dough shouldn’t be over worked as this will activate the gluten.
  • When you have a crumbly texture start using your hands to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
  • At this point ad the vanilla
  • Ad the eggs one by one, and the milk, using a knife or fork to work it together.
  • When the mixture is crumbly again use your hands to work the mixture until you have a ball of dough.
  • Remember don’t work the pastry too much as it will leave you with a whole other texture.
  • Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.


Preheat your oven to 180° gas


Prepare the filling while the pastry is chilling

What do you need:
5 Brambley apples, cored, peeled and cut into halved wedges
100 g Blackberries
50 g butter
80 g light brown sugar
1 egg beaten
a sprinkle of caster sugar
20 cm shallow pie dish

  • Put the butter into a saucepan and melt over a low fire
  • Ad the sugar
  • Ad the apples and slowly cook for 10 minutes
  • Ad the blackberries and stir briefly and some of the berries release their juice
  • Let it cool slightly
  • Tip the fruit into a sieve and keep the juices and fruit aside
  • Take your pasty out of the fridge
  • Cut the dough in half and put the second piece back into the fridge
  • Roll out the dough until it’s about 5 mm thick
  • Butter your pie dish
  • Line the pie dish with the pastry
  • Trim off the excess pastry around the sides with a sharp knife
  • Put the fruit into the lined pie dish so you have a little mount in the middle
  • Use a spoon to add a bit of the juice, not all of it or it will get too wet.
  • Take the rest of the pastry out of the fridge and roll it out like you did before
  • Lay the pastry over the pie
  • Trim off the excess pastry around the sides and crimp the edges of the pastry together with the back of a fork or your fingers.
  • Decorate your pie if you like, cut an opening in the pastry so the steam can escape
  • Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle over some caster or cane sugar

* if you have leftover pastry why not make some shortbread!

Place the pie on the bottom of the preheated oven for 50 minutes to an hour.
The top should be golden and crisp.

Serve with a dollop of clotted cream or double cream.
Enjoy

You might also like
Blaeberry pie 
Kentish Cobnut cake 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: apple, autumn, Best of British, dessert, Food history, harvest, pastry, recipes, sweet pie

Previous Post: « Food Blogger Connect – Back to the Victorian school
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Reader Interactions

Thanks for reading x Regula

Comments

  1. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    21st October 2012 at 4:38 PM

    Oh, simply gorgeous! I've never had those apples. I bet they are very tasty…

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
    • Regula says

      21st October 2012 at 4:59 PM

      They are! You would love them, so versatile and such a fresh taste!

      Reply
  2. jo says

    21st October 2012 at 4:46 PM

    Homemade apple pie with loads of custard is my favourite desert, reminds me of my mum and being a little girl x Nom nom NOM

    Reply
    • Regula says

      21st October 2012 at 5:01 PM

      I just love it when food brings you back to your childhood or another lovely memory. These memories seem to give dishes extra meaning x

      Reply
  3. Karin@yumandmore says

    21st October 2012 at 5:13 PM

    interesting history Regula along with the beautiful recipe and pictures. oh i could bite right in to that gorgeous pie!!

    Reply
    • Regula says

      23rd October 2012 at 7:37 AM

      Thanks Karin, wish I could send you a piece!

      Reply
  4. twostella il giardino dei ciliegi says

    21st October 2012 at 10:48 PM

    I love it!

    Reply
  5. Juls @ JulsKitchen says

    22nd October 2012 at 7:15 AM

    This is my kind of pie, and my kind of story, and my kind of post, and my kind of dreamy retirement cottage… well, why retirement? I would love to visit soon that place, would you be my guide??
    Love the story, it is poetic, you can really feel the power of Nature and the love and affection of good people around that tree! Have a brilliant week my friend, hope time will fly till Friday!! xx

    Reply
    • Regula says

      23rd October 2012 at 7:36 AM

      It would be just wonderful to visit the little town and the tree, I don't think you can actually visit the tree but I'm trying to find out! See you in Italy friday xxx

      Reply
  6. Debs Dust Bunny says

    22nd October 2012 at 7:21 AM

    Thank you for another beautiful post. The pie looks very tempting but I am even more captivated by your photos. I am always enchanted by your photographs!

    Reply
    • Regula says

      23rd October 2012 at 7:36 AM

      Thanks so much, kind words do mean a lot to me x

      Reply
  7. Nando Cuca says

    22nd October 2012 at 11:33 AM

    I love the idea of the apple window! You are such an artist!

    Reply
    • Regula says

      23rd October 2012 at 7:34 AM

      aww thanks Nando! x

      Reply
  8. thelittleloaf says

    22nd October 2012 at 1:04 PM

    This looks like a very delicious pie! My granny is an apple farmer and my Mum is allergic so I have an interesting relationship with apples…but I love apple pie! 🙂

    Reply
    • Regula says

      23rd October 2012 at 7:35 AM

      ooh interesting indeed, apple pie is the best 🙂

      Reply
  9. Mark/Your Kitchen Camera says

    23rd October 2012 at 12:02 PM

    dang…that crust on the single slice shot looks really flaky…and tasty…
    nice work!

    Reply
    • Regula says

      12th November 2012 at 12:37 PM

      Thanks Mark 😉

      Reply
  10. Zita says

    23rd October 2012 at 5:41 PM

    Oh My, I would die for a slice of this! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Jasmine says

    2nd November 2012 at 10:00 AM

    What do I like better? The recipe? The pictures? The awsome sort of logo/graphics in the first picture? I can't decide. Regula, you're SO talented!
    xoxo
    Jasmine

    Reply
    • Regula says

      12th November 2012 at 12:38 PM

      Thanks so much Jasmine! *Blush*

      Reply
  12. the cake hunter says

    7th February 2013 at 9:10 AM

    That's such a lovely story about where the Bramley came from. This is my dream pie, I love apple and blackberry. The pictures are all beautiful.

    Reply
  13. Kara Lamb says

    20th March 2013 at 3:59 AM

    Such a gorgeous read, and beautiful photography, as always, Regula xo 🙂

    Reply
  14. Kara Lamb says

    20th March 2013 at 4:00 AM

    Such a beautifully written article, as always, Regula and the most scrumptious photography! Makes me want to go and make pies right this minute xo 🙂

    Reply

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Regula Ysewijn is a food writer, stylist and photographer, with a particular interest in historical recipes. he is a Great Taste Awards judge and a member of The Guild of Food Writers, as well as one of the two judges on 'Bake Off Vlaanderen', the Belgian version of 'The Great British Bake-Off'. A self-confessed Anglophile, she collects old British cookbooks and culinary equipment in order to help with her research. She is the author of 5 books: Pride and Pudding the history of British puddings savoury and sweet, Belgian Café Culture, the National Trust Book of Puddings, Brits Bakboek and Oats in the North, Wheat from the South. Read More…

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