Scalloped Pastry with Apple Filling

For the pastry: sift the flour into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Gradually add the water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing continuously until the mixture just comes together as a dough. (You may not need to use all of the water. ) Roll the dough into a ball, then wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 200°C (180° fan) 400°F gas 6. Grease a 23 cm|9" pie dish.

Roll out half the dough on a floured surface and line the pie dish.

For the filling: mix together the sugar, lemon juice and zest and apple slices. Put into a pan with the butter and bring to a boil. Cook gently for 3 minutes until the apples are softened. Leave to cool.

Put the fruit into the pie dish.

Roll out the remaining pastry on a floured surface, a little larger than the pie dish. Cut out small rounds with a crimped cookie cutter, re-rolling the trimmings to cut out more rounds.

Brush the edges of the pastry rim and the small rounds with a little water.

Place, overlapping slightly, on top of the filling to cover completely. Seal the edges well and make a small hole in the top to allow steam to escape.

Brush the pastry rounds with water and sprinkle with caster sugar.