Healthier Apple Pie

Reserve 1 pinch of cinnamon. Combine apple, lemon juice, 1/4 cup honey, half of the vanilla and remaining cinnamon in a large frying pan and heat over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until apple is tender. Combine cornflour with 2 tablespoons water. Add to apple mixture. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Grease an 18cm base and 23cm top round metal pie dish.

Place pastry on a work surface. Cover with a damp tea towel to prevent pastry drying out. Spray 1 pastry sheet with oil. Top with another pastry sheet in the opposite direction and spray with oil. Continue layering in a criss-cross pattern until you have a stack of 10 pastry sheets. Line prepared dish with pastry stack, allowing excess to overhang edge. Sprinkle base of pastry with breadcrumbs. Spoon over apple mixture, pressing gently to compact.

Spray 1 remaining pastry sheet with oil. Top with another pastry sheet, spraying with oil. Continue layering until you have a stack of 5 pastry sheets. Fold stack in half crossways. Place pastry stack over filling. Fold and roll overhanging pastry to create a border. Spray pastry top with oil. Sprinkle with half of the reserved cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and pie is cooked through. Stand pie for 30 minutes to cool.

Combine ricotta with remaining vanilla in a small bowl. Serve pie drizzled with remaining honey and with ricotta mixture.