Onion, Apple and Sage Pie

Due to popular demand (on facebook) for this recipe, here it is! The recipe for Onion, Apple and Sage Pie - adapted from the cookbook "Like Grandma Used to Make" by Readers Digest. (I can't recommend this book enough!)



Onion, Apple and Sage Pie

• 3 small onions, sliced thinly
• 2-3 small apples, peeled, cored, sliced thinly
• 2 tsp fresh sage, chopped finely
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

• 2 cups flour
• 125g butter, softened
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 - 4 tab chilled water
• a little milk for glazing.

For the pastry:
(or you could 'cheat' and use a sheet of pre-packaged shortcrust pastry.)

In a bowl rub the butter into the flour. Add enough cold water until a very stiff dough is formed. Knead on a floured bench for a minute until smooth. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for 20 - 30 min.

For the pie:
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees (celcius).

Roll the chilled pastry dough out to a square slightly larger than 30cm x 30cm. Trim the edges to neaten the square. I found it useful at this point to gently mark the area I wanted to put the pie fillings in - a smaller square rotated45 degrees and fitted inside the pastry square like a diamond, so that the four corners of the pastry will act like flaps.

Lay the pastry down on a baking tray. Place down a layer of half the onion slices. Top this with a layer of half the apple slices. Sprinkle half of the sage across the apple then dust with half of the mixed salt and pepper. Place a layer of the remaining onion, followed by a layer of the remaining apple slices. Again, top with the remaining sage, salt and pepper.

NOTE: The recipe in the book called for 4 tab sour cream to be put ontop at this point but I had no cream or sour cream in the fridge and this called for the pie to be chilled for another half hour.. and I was hungry. So I left it out. If anyone tries this recipe with the cream I'd love to know how it works out!

Brush the edge of the pastry with milk. Fold two of the corner flaps up over the filling and press together -they should overlap slightly. Fold the other two corner flaps up to meet the other flaps and press together. You may find you have a bit too much filling - gently pull out what you need to so the flaps of the pie can all be folded up neatly.

Use the excess trimmed off pastry to make decorations for the top of the pie (I made leaves and little flower shape. Brush the whole top of the pie with the milk.

Put in the oven and bake until the top of the pie is golden brown.