The British apple pie is not quite an underdog in this fight, but it’s certainly less celebrated than its cousin from across the pond. For me, one of the most distinctively British aspects of our apple pie is our preference for Bramley apples. The earliest British apple pies would not, however, have been made from Bramleys. In an apple pie, Bramley apples will soften, while still holding their shape – it is best to pile them up a little, so the cooked pie doesn’t dip in the middle as the apples collapse. It’s not just the Bramley apple that defines the British apple pie, though – after all, in those early pies, Pippins were generally the preferred cultivar.