Zesty and Fruity and gorgeous.
Generally speaking, I am not a great dessert pie maker as I am not a huge dessert eater, but I rather like this little invention of mine and twinned with the almond pastry, the apple and orange mix is very enticing.
There are no clever twists and turns here; this is very straightforward pie making. However, I do strongly recommend non-stick pie tins for these sorts of pies – if they leak, they can glue themselves to anything and you will really appreciate the non-stick. After all, you don’t want to go all safe on the amount of stuffing. So, on to the recipe…
Ingredients
- 300g Plain Flour
- 60g caster sugar
- 80g ground almonds
- 200g butter (unsalted)
- 1 large egg and 1 egg yoke
- 2 small crisp eating apples (British, please!)
- zest of one orange
- juice of half lemon
- 2 tsp whiskey/rum
- 2 tbs clear honey
- 1 ball glacé ginger
Rub together the flour, sugar, ground almonds and butter to make a fine crumb.
Add the eggs, beaten, and bring together to form a dough. Don't over work it! The trick of most pastry is to bind it together and not knead it into submission. Wrap it tightly in cling film and put in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.
Skin and seed the apple. Use an eating apple, but you want one that has a nice lively taste, not the bland things we often buy. Look for the crisper varieties.
Chop into very small cubes.
Finely chop the ginger and mix with the apple, lemon and orange zest. Taste. Add the alcohol of your choice, though whiskey or Cuban rum both work nicely in their own ways.
Now, add the honey bit by bit, making sure you get it to a sweetness that you like. Honey can vary a lot, so use my quantity as a guide only and find you own level.
Set aside to think about life while you drink more rum. Did I just say that out loud?
Roll out the pastry and cut bases and lids to fit your tray. Butter the tray well (even with non-stick).
Fill the bases well – don’t be thrifty! And cover with the lids however you wish. Often these look a whole lot better being a little random - well, that is my excuse! Baste with a little milk or egg/water mixture.
Bake in the oven at about 180º for 15 to 20 minutes till golden brown.
Try to let them cool before you eat them all. If you really want to enjoy these to the full, lock the doors!
