English Minsmith Pie

Ingredients:

Dough

• 2.5 cups of flour
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 cup (230 g) chilled butter, cut into pieces (frozen butter is optional)
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice

Filling

• 2 medium apples, peeled and coarsely grated
• 1 cup light raisins or Thompson raisins
• 1 cup dark raisins
• 0.5 cups dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup candied ginger, finely diced
• 0.5 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brandy, optional
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 0.5 tsp ground allspice
• 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 cup (60 g) butter, melted
• 1 egg mixed with 2 tbsp water, for greasing
• Granulated sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:

1. Dough:

   
   Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add vegetable oil and mix it in with a pastry cutter or a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until it forms smooth, moist crumbs.
2. Add the butter and chop until finely chopped, but still visible. Combine the water and vinegar (or lemon juice) and pour into the flour mixture, stirring until the dough comes together. Form it into 2 discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. The dough can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator before rolling it out.

4. Filling:

   
   Combine grated apple, raisins, dried cranberries, and candied ginger with brown sugar, honey, cognac, lemon juice, orange and lemon zest, and spices. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C. Remove the dough from the refrigerator 15-30 minutes before rolling it out. On a lightly floured work surface, roll one disk of dough into a 0.5 cm thick circle. Flour a 22 cm pie pan and place the rolled-out dough in it. Trim off any excess and pinch the edges to create a fluted shape.
6. Stir melted butter into the filling and spread it evenly over the dough in the pan. Roll out the second disk of dough and use a cookie cutter to cut out any shapes you like. Arrange the cut-out shapes on top of the filling, making sure they almost touch each other across the entire surface of the pie. Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
7. Place the pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes at 200°C (400°F). Then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F) and bake for about 40 minutes more, until the pie is golden brown. Cool the pie for 2 hours before slicing, or cool to room temperature and refrigerate.