Almond Apple Pie

08/19/2007, tags: dessert, world food, almond, apple, pie, tart

I've been wanting to bake an apple pie with almond fillings for some time, but I couldn't find an apple pie recipe that would fit the bill in any of my books. So I decided to be a bit creative and modify an existing almond pie recipe. I started from a Bakewell tart, which combines an almond filling over a layer of jam. I replaced the jam with slices of apples instead and prayed for the thing to turn right.

What got me motivated to make the pie today was this month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge 19 - Dinner and a DVD. You have to cook something to match one of your favourite movies. In this case guess which one goes with the apple pie... ? Yup, the famous teen comedy American Pie, where the poor and innocent pie suffered a humiliating fate. While my recipe is far from the classical apple pie, I hope it'll satisfy all the apple-pie lovers out there... but it's probably better enjoyed eaten:-p

american pie
Almond Apple Pie

(adapted from Bakewell tart recipe)

Pie crust

  • 125 g plain flour (shifted)
  • 90 g cold butter (cut into cubes)
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp ice water

Fillings

  • 90 g butter (soften)
  • 90 g sugar
  • 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 3 drops Almond essence
  • 70 g ground almonds
  • 40 g self raising flour
  • 3 to 4 golden apples (sliced)
Almond apple pie Ingredients
Directions

Pie crust

  1. Preheat the oven at 180°C (350°F - gas mark 4). Lightly grease the bottom of the 20 cm diameter pie dish.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour and sugar together and put in the diced up butter.
  3. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it form chunky crumbs or lumpy.
  4. Make a small well in the middle, add in almost all the ice water. Mix the dough delicately with your hands until it forms a ball of dough. Add more water if the dough is too dry.
  5. Roll out the dough in between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Gently place onto the pie dish and trim off the excess. Refrigerate it for 20 minutes.
  6. Line the pie crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill it with dry beans or rice. Bake it for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cool a few minutes and carefully remove pie weights. Put it back in oven (without the weights) and bake it for an additional 7 minutes. The crust should be lightly golden. Cool completely before filling.

Fillings

  1. Peel, cored and cut the apples in slices.
  2. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until it is smooth and creamy.
  3. Add in slowly the beaten eggs while continually whisking it and mix in the almond essence.
  4. Using a metal spoon, mix in the ground almonds and the shifted flour.
  5. Spread a layer of apple slices on the bottom of the baked pie shell.
  6. Pour in the batter and smoothen the surface.
  7. Spread another layer of apple slices on top of the batter.
  8. Bake it at 180°C (350°F - gas mark 4) for 35 minutes. The pie should rise and golden brown.
The Verdict

It turned out surprisingly good. While it's a bit short of sugar for Pierre, it was most appreciated by the rest of the family. The texture is moist and soft, and has a nice almond flavor which fits very well with the apples.

Notes

In my hurry to get the pie ready for dinner, I forgot to sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top of the apples as I had originally planned. And I would put more layer of apple slices (if thinly sliced) on the bottom and thicker slices on top.

Almond Apple pieAlmond apple pie
27 comments.
#1, par Kelly Mahoney (08/19/2007)

Looks delicious! Yum. I bet the apple slices with almonds are great. Crunchy and chewy -- delicious.

#2, par Sylvia (08/19/2007)

Looks wonderful,almonds and apples are a wonderful combination.

#3, par Anh (08/19/2007)

Lovely! this apple pie has everything I love - rich and fruity...

#4, par tigerfish (08/20/2007)

singing..."Hello...Miss American Pie...." (I know I changed the lyrics a little) ...
Always love a warm apple pie with vanilla ice-cream:-)

#5, par ashley (08/20/2007)

Ohh that looks like an apple pie I'd like to try. I'm not a fan of the fruit pies usually.

#6, par isha (08/20/2007)

looking good almond apple pie

#7, par Cynthia (08/20/2007)

Now this, I've got to try. Fantastic job!

#8, par lynn (08/20/2007)

Wow, what a wonderful take on apple pie! It looks delicious.

#9, par Little Corner of Mine (08/20/2007)

Looks delicious!

#10, par Nazca (08/20/2007)

Mmm pieeeee

#11, par Tartelette (08/20/2007)

Saturday I made one very similar with almond/frangipane filling and fresh figs. Turned out awesome. Your apple pie looks decadent and delicious!

#12, par Patricia Scarpin (08/20/2007)

That pie is so wonderful! I love baking with apples.

#13, par Lori (08/20/2007)

Oh my, that looks good! Your family is so lucky to get to try your recipes all the time!

#14 (08/20/2007)

Superb idea!! I find bakewell tarts a bit boring, but your version with the apples is a wonderful twist.

p/s: the upside down pineapple cake recipe you were looking for is in my June archive under "Topsy Turvy Cinnamon Cake with Caramelised Pineapple". I adapted it from Bill Granger's book. The cake was very moist, even after 3 days.

#15, par lotsofcravings (08/21/2007)

The pie looks gorgeous..but i dun think it will useful to the fellow though in American pie hehehe...

#16, par ilingc (08/21/2007)

You know, i sort of stopped eating apple pies after that movie *laugh*
I love the way you decorated the top with the slices of apples and frangipane filling.. sounds like superb apple pie.:-)

#17, par eastmeetswestkitchen (08/21/2007)

Almond and apple pie - YUM! Love your pie and loved that movie, although I look at pies a little differently now. LOL!

#18, par ming the merciless (08/21/2007)

Hmm! That looks delicious and as everyone said, I like the almonds in it.

#19, par valentinA (08/21/2007)

What a yummy piece of pie, I want a bite please!

#20, par Sara (08/21/2007)

Perfect pairing for this event! Thanks for taking part this month, hope to see you back for #20!

#21, par sher (08/22/2007)

Oh, that's MARVELOUS! I will certainly make that! Thank you!

#22, par Judy (08/22/2007)

Wow, that looks really good. A good change from the normal apple pie. I should try this with my apples.

#23, par gulali manis (08/23/2007)

wow, ,looks so delicious, the recipe is for keep, I wanna try this ,thanks for posting the recipe.

#24, par IronEaters (08/25/2007)

the pie looks wonderful!esp the last pic, it jt make me wanna hav a bite =)and "American Pie", a hilarious movie isnt it?lol.

#25, par The Cooking Ninja (08/26/2007)

@Kelly: oh, they tastes really lovely together.

@Sylvia & Anh: Thanks:-)

@tigerfish: now I got that song stuck in my head.

@ashley: It has a nice mixture of cake and apple:-)

@Isha & lynn: thanks:-)

@Cynthia: Hope you like it too.

@Little corner of mine & Nazca::-)

@Tartelette: mmm...yours sounds yummy too. oh, I'm going to try next with frangipane filling.:-)

@Patricia: It's amazing there is so many different type of recipes we can do with apples.:-)

@Lori: hehehe...I have to say I'm very lucky to have them because they are willing to eat all my try outs.;-)

@lotsofcraving: you're right. He can't get no satisfaction with mine. LOL

@ilingc: Thanks for dropping by.

@eastmeetswestkitchen: hahaha...so do I.

@Ming: thanks:-)

@ValentinA: sure. come over.

@Sara: definitely will try for the #20:-)

@Sher: Hope you'll like it like I did.

@Judy: Yes...I wanted apple pie but different from the normal one. This one is so nice.

@Gulali manis: My pleasure:-)

@IronEaters: Yes it is.

#26, par keropokman (08/31/2007)

it looks easy enough for me to try. hehe... maybe if i find some time, i might just try to make this.

hmm. are those Ikea glasses? hehe...:-)

#27, par The Cooking Ninja (09/02/2007)

@keropokman: Yes those are Ikea glasses;-)

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