Bubbling, berry-stained filling, spilling over the edges of a pie dish, bursting through a buttery, flaky crust. The bottom of the pastry just beginning to sog with bright red juice, the top burnished and shatteringly crisp. This is an Apple Raspberry Pie with Rough Puff Pastry, and it’s damn delicious.

This time last year (just over a year ago, actually, which is insane because it feels like yesterday) I was up after a night of barely any sleep, kept awake by nervous excitement. I was staying in a strange, gorgeous, one bedroom Air BNB apartment, which I’ve never since been able to locate again. I strapped on my cons, donned a pair of sturdy jeans, and a shirt, and started out in the chill morning air, on the 30 minute walk to my destination; a stranger’s house in the central Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.

I walked down the barely-peopled streets, my breath ever-so slightly visible in the air, feeling that sense of invigoration that only getting around in the early-morning urban world can give. I walked past endless cafes, swank apartments, book stores, bakeries, chocolate shops and vintage stores. I stopped for a second to stare in a window at my dream couch. I glanced again and again at my phone, checking and double checking the map, making sure I was headed in the right direction. I mentally bookmarked where Gelato Messina and a few other awesome looking restaurants were, before finally turning the corner into a quiet street, and fronting up at the house.

That house was where I and a team of other lovely humans shot all of the photos for my cookbook. It was where I met the wonderful, very talented Caroline Griffiths, who was the straight up boss of the kitchen during that week. It’s awesome to see a friend who is so talented and hard working, release a book full of their own ideas, and that’s where the recipe for this pie comes from – Caroline’s book Incredible Bakes, published by Smith Street Books.

It’s a big, beautiful book, full of gorgeous recipes, and Caroline gives tons of tips and ideas for how to reduce the amount of sugar in your baking – which, I’ll be honest, is not a huge priority for me, but I can definitely see that a lot of people will love that!

This pie, in the book, is actually made with rhubarb, but it’s not exactly rhubarb season right now, so I subbed in some raspberries to provide the same tartness, and it worked unbelievably well. Because the real star, here, is that rough puff pastry topping. Slightly unusual, Caroline’s recipe uses yeast, which makes the topping super-puffy, almost halfway between a flaky pastry and a danish dough. Hella, hella good. Definitely recommend this one! And you can check out Caroline’s instagram here, and grab a copy of the book here.

xx Sarah.

NOTES: This book was sent to me by the publisher, but the opinions are all my own. Also, this post contains an affiliate link, meaning that if you click on it and buy the book, I will receive a small (<10%) commission.