Like good old fashioned jelly and custard, ice cream and hot chocolate sauce, and home-made bread pudding, a simple apple pie takes a lot to beat — particularly one that's quick and easy to make and bake.

I found this recipe in an old charity recipe book produced in the Elgin apple district long ago, and I have enjoyed making — and sharing it with friends — for many years.

For variety I some times replace the apple with quince and it's equally tasty. It's probably at its best served straight from the oven but I chill it slightly in summer and serve it with ice cream, or cream, or both.

And if you are feeling wicked you can even sprinkle a little grated chocolate over the apple pie for bit of additional flavour.

To make four generous helpings you need:

Ingredients

225g plain flour

100g caster sugar

Pinch of ground cloves (or cinnamon)

4 tablespoons icing sugar

900g apples, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges

100g butter

1 egg yolk

For the glaze

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons sugar

Method

In a mixing bowl blend together the flour, icing sugar and butter until crumbly

Add egg yolk and 3 tablespoons cold water and blend until smooth but firm

Cover and chill for 10 minutes

In a clean bowl pour the caster sugar and ground cloves or cinnamon and toss in the apple slices

Spoon the sugared apple pieces into a lightly greased 900 ml pie dish or a 23 cm pie plate

Roll the pastry out thinly and slice into a circle slightly bigger than the dish

Slice the remaining pasty into strips about 3 cm wide and with the help of a little water attached the strips around the edge of the pie dish

Brush with a little water and cover the pie with the cut-out circle of pastry to the outside strips

Gently press the edges down with a fork

Cut a small steam hole in the centre of the pasty

To glaze brush pie crust with milk and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of caster sugar

Place in an oven pre-heated to 190 deg C and bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown

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