Rick Stein’s double-crust apple pie with a touch of cinnamon

Method

1. Put the flour, butter, lard and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Alternatively, mix in a large bowl, using your fingertips to rub the fat into the flour. Add up 2 tbsp cold water, a little at a time, pulsing the food processor or mixing with a spoon, until the pastry just starts to come together. You may not need all the water and less is better to achieve a nice shortcrust pastry.
2. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and bring the pastry together, then divide it into 2 balls, roughly two thirds and one third. Flatten each one a little, then wrap and leave to rest in the fridge until ready to use.
3. For the filling, put the apples, sugar and butter in a pan. Add 1 tbsp water, cover, then put over a medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until the bramleys have broken down and the cox slices are tender. If the mixture looks watery, cook without a lid for 2 minutes to evaporate the excess liquid. Taste and add more sugar if required, then stir in the cinnamon. Tip the mixture into a bowl and leave to cool to room temperature.
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4. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and put a heavy baking sheet on the middle shelf to heat up.
5. Roll out the larger disc of pastry to fit the bottom and sides of your pie dish with a small overhang, then add the cooled filling. Dampen the edges of the pastry with a little milk. Roll out the remaining pastry, then lay it over the filling. Press the pastry edges together, then crimp with your fingers or use
   a fork around the edges of the dish to seal. If you like, use any pastry scraps to make pastry leaves to decorate the top (stick them on using the milk).
6. Use a sharp knife to cut a couple of slits in the centre of the lid to allow steam to escape. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with the sugar. Put the pie in the oven on the hot baking sheet and bake for about 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp. Allow the pie to cool a little before cutting and serving with custard, if you like.