Apple Pie - please help me

[Dustyblue]

This is one dish that has eluded me. I always get it wrong somehow.

I ask because I have loads of apples from a friend's tree. They're big yellow ones that stew up beautifully. It's the pastry and baking that I can't do properly.

I've tried using a basic short-crust pastry and blind baking, but still get a soggy bottom. Also the pastry I make isn't sweet and nice enough.

How do you do it? I'd love to make a proper pie, rather than just stewed apples and vanilla ice cream, nice as it is.

I agree, you should use raw apples.
It's cooking them first that's making your pastry soggy.

@marylou25 Thanks for that explanation! It was largely cooked and a bit soggy, but not raw pastry.

Still think I've a way to go to perfect this dish.

I was wrong about the apples, they're golden delicious.

Golden Delicious - Wikipedia

I think the apples might be a big part of the problem .Golden delicious are quite a watery apple .

I wouldn't make a tart with golden delicious, an eating apple in my opinion, a decent tart needs Bramleys, they're not called cooking apples for nothing :)

Granny Smith's apples are good in a pie.

Cooking apples turn to pulp when cooked, eating apples keep their shape. If you want to make a pattern of fanned apple slices on a tart you need an eating apple not a cooker.

Crumble is easier than pie

If I use eating apples I cut them chunky.

If using cooking apples I slice them and sprinkle layers with a bit of sugar

For the crumble I use half half half proportions

So eg 100g flour, 50g butter, 25g sugar

Chop butter into flour then rub gently to make breadcrumbs. Mix in sugar.

Put crumble on fruit.

Stick in oven at 180c for about 40m

All the joy of apple and pastry with no soggy bottom

Yes Granny Smiths would be much better, it was just that I had a box of the goldens!

Crumble! Why didn't I think of that!