The cook has been making this slice for more than 30 years. She says it’s one of her husband’s all-time favourites and loves the way his face lights up when she makes it. My prediction is that your family will light up, too, when they are presented with this apple delight!
How to make Mum’s old-fashioned apple slice: key tips
The apple filling is easy to prep, but after you’ve cooked the slices be sure to cool them to room temperature before assembling your pie, otherwise the heat will make the pastry soft and sticky.
To make the pastry, use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles crumbs. Knead the dough until it’s just smooth (don’t overwork it), and then chill the dough in the fridge to firm it up a bit and make it easier to handle.
After assembling the slice, make sure you crimp the edges of the pastry so that they are nicely sealed. Then make a few small slits in the pastry top. These will allow steam to escape, which would otherwise build up and cause the pastry to rise unevenly.
Key ingredients in Mum’s old-fashioned apple slice recipe
Granny Smith apples are ideal for slices (and pies!) because they hold their shape very well when baked, so you get perfectly formed soft pieces and no mush, and their tartness balances out the sweetness of the other ingredients in the slice.
The pastry is a shortcrust, which is quite crumbly and contains sugar to make it deliciously sweet. It’s perfect for a pie-like slice such as this.
Love cooking with apples? You might also like to make this crumbled apple slice, plus an easy apple slice.
This recipe was originally submitted by Celica100_00, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.