Apple Oat Crumble Pie

This is a simple yet lovely dessert to make! This could be on the table set for a Christmas meal or even as a potluck item!


Ingredients:

For shortcrust pastry, enough to line a 25-cm tart tin (can be prepared a day ahead)

300g plain flour
3 tablespoons caster sugar
200g unsalted butter, cubed
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Sift flour into a mixing bowl. and mix in sugar.

2. Rub in the butter into the flour until it becomes crumbly.

3. Mix egg yolks and water and pour into flour mixture and mix to form a dough.(Do not overmix)

4. Roll dough into a ball and clingwrap before refrigerating for about 30 minutes before rolling out.

5. Place dough between baking paper and roll out to size and place into a greased tart tin. Make sure to tuck pastry into the fluted part of tin. trim of excess pastry.

6. Place a foil on the pastry and fill it with baking beans. Blind bake in preheated oven 200deg C for 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake again for 15 minutes. Remove and egg wash and bake for 1 minute.

7. Set aside to cool before adding filling.


Filling:

6 large green apples, skinned and sliced or cubed
Zest of 1 lemon
3 teaspoons lemon juice

50g sugar
45g brown sugar
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1. Mix apple with lemon zest and juice.

2. Place all ingredinets in a saucepan and mix well and cook over medium heat to cook for about 5 to 8 minutes. Set a side to cool.


Crunble Topping(prepare ahead before the filling)

1 cup rolled oats
90g brown sugar
6 tablespoons plain flour
100g butter, cubed

1. Mix all ingredients together. It shoild be crumbly. Chill until use.

 To assemble pie

1. Fill pie shell with apple mixture, leaving about 1cm from the brim. Top up with crumble and bake in preheated oven 180deg C for about 30 to 40 minutes.

2. Let pie cool down completely before removing from tin.

Shepherd's Pie My Way

Shepherd's pie or originally known as Cottage pie uses mutton, lamb or beef as its filling.

I used chicken instead and added some veggies. This can be a one-dish meal!

Ingredients: (30cm x 23cm x 6cm overproof dish)

A (Marinate overnight)
500g meat (use mince for beef or lamb) / chicken, cubed (I used 3 chicken breast and 2 thighs)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
some black pepper
mixed herb
a little salt

B
2 large white onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 to 5 carrots, cubed and parboiled
2 cans button mushrooms, sliced
250g frozen corn or 1 can peas
1/2 capsicum, coarsely chopped
1 can Campbell mushroom soup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
mixed herb
salt and black pepper to taste
oil

2 tablespoons flour / cornflour to thicken

1 kg yellow-fleshed potatoes (weight includes skin)
80g butter
about 125ml milk (I used low fat)
salt and pepper to taste (I used salt sparingly)
shredded cheddar cheese for topping
Parmesan cheese (optional)


1. Skin potatoes, cut to size and boil or scrub and boil whole with skin till soft enough for mashing. (I opted for the first method as I found skinning boiled potatoes harder to do. Do make sure not to use too much water.)

2. While potatoes are being cooked, prepare the other ingredients in B.

3. Mash potatoes with a masher while still hot as they are softer and easier to mash. Add butter, salt and pepper as you mash along. Gradually add milk and mix well. (Do not use a blender to mash potatoes as it will cause it to become gluey.)

4. Heat some oil in a frying pan and saute onions and garlic for a couple of minutes.

5. Add chicken and fry for 2 to 3 minutes before adding carrots, mushrooms and corn.

6. Season with black pepper, mixed herb and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.

7. Add mushroom soup and taste-test and add salt accordingly. lastly add capsicum and stir fry a couple of times to mix.

8. Spread a thick layer of chicken and veggies in a deep dish.

9. Either pipe out or spread a layer of mashed potato on the chicken. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 200 deg C for 20 to 25 minutes or till top is golden. Sprinkle parmesan cheese if preferred.

* Do not use Russet potatoes for mash as the mash does not hold well and tends to become too mushy.
* Best eaten hot or warm

Snowy

Baked

And now to tuck in!!