Directions

For the Pastry:

1. Place the flour, baking powder, spices, sugar and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. While gently pulsing, add the water and vanilla and process until the mixture comes together to form a smooth dough.

   
   

   No Food Processor? Add the same ingredients into a bowl then using thumb and forefinger, rub the butter into the flour mix until breadcrumbs. Slowly incorporate water and mix until it become a dough.

2. Roll out dough, place in pie dish: Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 30cm/12-inch circle; about 3mm or 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking.

   
   

   Carefully place onto a 22cm/9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

   
   

   Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough around the edge of the pie dish.
   

Blind Bake:

1. Place the crust into the freezer for at least half an hour, until chilled. This is an important step in pre-baking. Otherwise the crust will slip down the sides 

   
   

   (Don't rush, freeze it - you'll regret if you don't - like I always do).

   
   

2. Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F. 

   
   

   When the pie crust is well chilled, line the pie crust with baking paper. Let the paper extend over by a few centimetres on two sides to make it easier to lift to remove the pie weights when the baking is done.

3. Fill with pie weights: Fill the crust to the top with pie weights - dry beans, rice, or even sugar. 

4. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool completely before filling.

For the Filling:

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat, add the apples with 1/3 cup water. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes or until softened slightly. 

2. Add the rhubarb, raspberries, sugar, lemon rind and juice and vanilla and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until the fruit is tender and the liquid has thickened.

3. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cooled. Spoon the mixture into pie dish. Using various-sized fluted round (you could also use stars or heart) cookie cutters, cut about 22 rounds from the pastry, re-rolling as necessary. 
   

4. Layer the rounds over the top of the rhubarb and sprinkle with the extra raw sugar. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp. You may need to wrap the edges of the pie with aluminium foil when you bake your pie, to keep the edges from getting too dried out and burnt.

5. Serve warm with a dollop of cream or Icecream.