Christmas Apple Pie

At Potton, Bedfordshire, and the places adjacent, it was the custom at Christmas festivities to place on the table a large apple pie called an ‘Apple Florentine.’ This was made in a huge dish of pewter or Sheffield plate, or silver (or perhaps gold?) filled with ‘good baking apples,’ sugar and lemon, to the very brim; with a covering of rich pastry. When baked and before serving up, the crust was taken off, cut into triangular portions ready to be replaced on the apples, but before this was done a full quart of well-spiced ale was poured in quite hissing hot.