This delicious bake combines the classic pairing of soft apples with creamy vanilla-flavoured custard in one tasty pie. And you can make it milky or perfectly parev.

Method

• For the pastry, combine all the ingredients either by hand or use a food processor. When you have a ball of dough, wrap it with cling film, flatten it into a thick disc and leave to relax in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight.
• Roll the pastry out between two sheets of cling film or of baking parchment so it is wide enough to line a 22cm round tin — depending on the depth of your tin/dish you want the pastry about 2-4cm wider on each side.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
• Roll the pastry lightly around the rolling pin and then carefully unroll it into the tin or pie dish, gently pressing it down right into the edges.
• Cover with foil or baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake it blind for 20 minutes until the pastry feels sandy and is lightly golden. Remove the baking beans and foil and leave on a wire rack to cool.
• While the pastry is cooking make the apple custard. Put the apple purée, cream and milk into a large pan over a low to medium heat and gently warm it to just below boiling point. You will see tiny bubbles around the edges of the liquid.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the yolks, corn flour, sugar and vanilla.
• Gradually pour the hot milk mixture onto the sugar mixture, whisking constantly.
• Wash out the saucepan and return the mixture to it. Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon until the custard has thickened, but before any lumps form. This will take about 5 minutes.
• Pour the custard into the cooked pastry base. Top with the sliced apples positioning them in a circular pattern so that they completely cover the custard.
• Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C/400°F or until the apples are golden. Glaze with apricot jam.
• Serve hot, warm or cold.

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