Apple pie

Ingredients (serves 8):
8 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced
140g golden caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp flour
2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp water

Method:
1. Line the baking tray with paper towels. Place sliced apples on the towels and leave for about an hour so they brown naturally. This will give the filling a silky texture.
2. Mix golden caster sugar, cinnamon and flour to form a paste. Pat apple slices dry and tip them into sugar paste. Mix with hands.
3. Line the pie pan with shortcrust pastry. Trim edges and reserve trimmings for decoration. Pile filling into base.
4. Brush pastry edges with a little water and lay pastry lid over filling, pressing edges to seal. Trim and scallop the edges.
5. Cut decorations out of leftover pastry and place onto pastry lid. Make small slashes on the lid to allow steam to escape.
6. Mix beaten egg with some water and brush over the pastry lid. Preheat oven to 200 deg C and bake for 45 minutes until brown. Serve warm.

Tips:
Make the pie (until step 5) a few days in advance, store in a container and freeze. To serve, thaw for at least an hour, baste with beaten egg and bake as instructed.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Dec 2006)

Baked curry puffs

Ingredients (makes 16):
3 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp ginger, chopped
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp meat curry powder
150g chicken fillet, diced
2 large potatoes, boiled, peeled and diced
125ml water
4 sheets of frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into eighths
1 egg, beaten and mixed with 1 tbsp water

Method:
1. Heat oil and fry onion, garlic, ginger, salt, sugar, curry powder and chicken together.
2. When chicken is cooked, put diced potatoes in, adding water to prevent burning. Cool filling.
3. Use the rim of a small bowl (about 12.5cm in diameter), press and cut circles in the shortcrust pastry.
4. Place 1 heaped tbsp of filling and a piece of hard-boiled egg in each circle.
5. Twist edges shut.
6. Place on a greased baking tray, brush tops with beaten egg and bake in a pre-heated 230 deg C oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Tips:
If you want your curry puffs flakier and lighter, substitute shortcrust pastry with frozen puff pastry.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine