METHOD

Pastry: Place sifted flour, icing sugar, lemon zest, salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix.

Add the cold butter and mix gently until all the butter is incorporated. (Little lumps are fine, big lumps are a no-no.)

Add the egg yolk and mix that through.

Add a little of the ice water and keep mixing until the dough clumps together. (You might need to add a little more water.)

On a lightly floured board, divide the dough into two fairly equal parts and roll in your hands until you have two smooth balls of dough. Wrap each one in cling film and refrigerate. (I left mine overnight but you can leave for one hour plus while you make the filling.)

Filling: Place all ingredients, except the Muscovado sugar, into a heavy based saucepan and cook over a moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries start to split and some look a little jammy. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Remove one ball of pastry from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out until you have a circle that fits, and overlaps, your pie plate. (I used a glass one.) Drape the pastry into your dish. 

Pile your cooled filling onto the pastry base.

Take the second ball of pastry out of the fridge and roll that out.

Using a pastry wheel, or a sharp knife, cut 12 strips of pastry and lay six of them horizontally across the pie. Now if you're really clever, you'll fold every other strip back and work out how to make a proper lattice. I didn't have the patience so I just laid the other six strips cross-wise across the top. Then crimp the edges with your thumb and forefinger until they're sealed.

Sprinkle generously with the Muscovado sugar and cut off any spare pastry. 

Place your pie onto a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until the smell wafting out of your kitchen is so intoxicating, you can't wait another minute. (Or until the pastry looks done and the filling is bubbling at the edges.)

PS Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukkah

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