Method

​1 For the pastry: Place the gluten-free plain flour and butter in a bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter and flour together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2 Add the beaten egg gradually until the dough comes together. If the mixture is still too dry add a little bit of water.

3 Lightly shape the pastry into a rough ball shape. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes until it cold slightly hardened.

4 Remove just over half of the pastry from the cling film. Place it between 2 sheets of cling film and roll out the pastry starting from the centre out. Roll out the pastry into a circle large enough to fill your pie tin so some pastry is overhanging. Place the pastry into a 23cm/9-inch pie tin, pushing it up to the edges of the tin. Do not worry about the pastry hanging over the edge, because this will be trimmed later.

5 For the filling: Place a baking tray in the oven and preheat to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas Mark 7. Peel, core, and slice the apples. Mix the apples with the lemon juice followed by the sugar, cornflour and cinnamon.

6 Turn the apples into the tin, heaping them up towards the centre. Brush the rim of the pastry with a little milk.

7 Unwrap the remaining piece of pastry, roll out and cover the pie. Press down the edges. Trim the excess pastry around the pie.

8 Crimp the edge. Brush the top with the remaining milk. Cut a 1cm diameter (half-inch) steam hole in the centre. Re-roll the trimmings, cut out decorative shapes, and arrange on top of the pie, leaving the steam hole clear. Brush the shapes with milk and sift 1 tbsp of sugar over the pie.

9 Put the pie on the baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4 and bake for a further 30–35 minutes. The pastry should be pale golden and the filling soft when pierced with a knife. Serve with your favourite accompaniment.