Apricot Lattice Pie

1. Warm your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Grease a 21cm-23cm-wide pie dish with a little butter.

2. Halve the apricots and remove the stones. Slice the apricots into 1-2cm-thick chunks and slide them into a bowl. Add the softened butter to the apricots. Tip in the ground almonds and the sugar. Stir the apricots and other ingredients in the bowl till well combined. Set to one side.

3. Roll out one piece of the pastry into a large, thin circle big enough to line the bottom and sides of the pie dish – you can roll it out between sheets of greaseproof paper, or dust your work surface with a little flour. Carefully transfer the pastry to the pie dish and gently press into the bottom and sides of the dish. Use a pair of scissors or a small, sharp knife to trim around the edges. Spoon the apricot filling into the pastry.

4. Roll out the remaining pastry into a thin rectangle and slice it into 10-12 2cm-thick strips. Lay half the pastry strips over the pie filling, then lift up every other strip and fold them back. Lay a pastry strip across the pie filling over the pastry strips, then lay the folded ones back over it to make a criss-cross. Repeat with the other strips to make a lattice. Press the patry edges together to seal them.

5. Break the egg into a small bowl and whisk to break it up. Brush the egg over the pastry to glaze it.

6. Slide the pie into oven and bake for 40-45 mins, till the pastry is a deep, golden brown in colour. When the pie is cooked, allow to cool for at least a few mins or to room temperature before slicing and serving with lashings of double cream or custard.