For this apple pie, you will need:

4 medium bramley apples, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
400g plain white flour
150g butter, cut into 1cm cubes
85g margarine
150g sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
4 cloves
2 tbsp iced water
200ml water

(makes one 8-inch pie)

In a large bowl combine the flour, 50g sugar butter and margarine by working together with fingers, so a crumbly texture is formed. Add a little water to the mixture and work into a soft dough, adding small amounts of water if required, until the dough comes away cleanly from the bowl. Put the dough in the refrigerator for an hour.

Cook the fruit, 100g sugar and cloves in a saucepan with 200ml water, on medium heat for about 8 minutes. Do not cover the apples with water. We are “steaming” the apple with a little water, rather than “boiling” them. Remove the cloves and discard.

Take just over half the dough and roll out on a cold, lightly floured surface using a rolling pin, into a circle large enough to cover base and sides of a lightly greased 8-inch oven tin. Fill the base with the cooked fruit. Roll out the rest of the pastry to form a lid. Put the lid on the pie and seal the edges with a fork. Prick a small venting hole in the middle of the lid. Trim excess pastry off the edge with a sharp knief. Sprinkle 50g sugar over the top and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 40 minutes until the top is golden and the pastry and cooked through. Serve with custard, cream or ice-cream.