Tips: For a slight different twist, you could add ground cinnamon or dried cranberries to the filling, if you like. Bake in a traditional metal pie plate so that the pastry base will be perfectly cooked. Serve warm or cold with chilled whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Yield:6

1. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the butter and cut it into small pieces.
   
   
2. Rub the butter, or butter and fat, into the flour with the fingertips, or using a pastry (cookie) cutter, lifting the mixture as much a possible to aerate, which will make the pastry lighter.
   
   
3. Mix 2 tbsp caster sugar with the chilled milk or water,add to the bowl and mix with a knife or fork until the mixture clings together.
   
   
4. Turn the pastry on to a floured worktop and knead lightly once or twice until smooth.
   
   
5. Wrap in baking parchment or foil and leave in the refrigerator to relax for 20 minutes before using. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400`F.
   
   
6. Roll out one-third of the pastry and use to line a 9in pie plate. Use any trimmings to make a rim of pastry around the top edge of the pie plate.
   
   
7. To make the filling, peel, core and slice the apples and arrange half of then on the pastry base, then sprinkle over the sultanas and lemon rind, if using. Top with the caster sugar, the remaining apples and butter or water.
   
   
8. Roll out the remainder of the pastry to make a circle about 1in larger than the pie plate.
   
   
9. Dampen the pastry edging on the rim and lay the top over the apples, draping it gently over any lumps to avoid straining the pastry. Press the rim well to seal. Pinch the edges with your fingers to make a fluted edge.
   
   
10. Brush the pastry lightly with milk and bake the pie in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the pastry has browned and is crisp, and the fruit is cooked.
    
    
11. To serve, dust the pastry with the icing sugar and serve hot, warm or cold, but not straight from the refrigerator. The pie is delicious with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.