For 4-5 portions you need

Short crust pastry

6 oz. flour pinch salt 3 oz. fat 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water

For the filling

1-1 1/2 lb. fruit, sugar to taste all margarine, or all lard or 1/2 margarine and 1/2 lard

  1. Prepare the fruit - with hard fruit add a little water with soft juicy fruit no water, and sugar to taste.
  2. Put fruit into pie dish - always use a pie dish that is sufficiently small so the fruit can be piled fairly high.
  3. Sieve flour and salt, rub in fat until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add water to make a firm dough.
  4. Roll out pastry to the shape of pie dish, but 1-1 1/2 inches bigger all round. Cut long narrow strip.
  5. Moisten edge of pie dish with water, and press pastry strip on to this.
  6. Lift remaining pastry over top of pie - support with rolling pin
  7. Press edges together; decorate. The edging on this particular pie was made by cutting horizontally then marking the pastry at regular intervals with a knife.
  8. Any surplus pastry can be used to form leaves etc.
  9. Bake for time and temperature given, reducing heat after 20 minutes. Oven temperature: hot 425-450°F.. Gas Mark 6-7, then 375°F.. Gas Mark 4-5 Oven position: centre