This was based on Steve’s entry in our annual apple pie competition in 2023. It has a frangipane layer, tart bramley apples in a custard and on crispy shortcrust pastry base. It is simple and elegant and is so good!
Almond and Custard Apple Pie
This was based on Steve’s entry in our annual apple pie competition in 2023. It has a frangipane layer, tart bramley apples in a custard and on crispy shortcrust pastry base. It is simple and elegant and is so good!
Takes 50 minutes
Serves 10
Ingredients
- 500 g Bramley cooking apples
- 325 g shortcrust pastry
Custard
- 500 ml oat milk
- 80 g icing sugar
- 1/10 tsp turmeric powder
- 5 tbsp cornstarch
Frangipane
- 150 g ground almonds
- 130 g icing sugar
- 95 g self raising flour
- 115 g plant based butter
- 3/4 tsp almond extract
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.You will need a tart pan that is 9 inches or 23 cm in diameter x 1.5 inch high/ 4cm.Defrost the short crust pastry and roll it out so it will fit the base of the tray and come up the side.
- Grease your tart pan with oil or plant based butter and add in the pastry ensuring it fits well into the sides and corners and comes over the top. Pierce it lightly with a fork and add another sheet of baking paper and some dried beans to hold it down. Blind bake the pastry for 10 mins at 180 degrees C. Take it out and remove the beans and the baking parchment and bake for a further 10 mins for the pastry to dry out. Remove and set aside.
- While the pastry is blind baking let's make the custard. In a medium saucepan on medium heat add the oat milk and sieve in the icing sugar and turmeric powder and using a whisk whisk together. Add the cornstarch to a glass along with approx 50 ml of the oat milk turmeric mixture and mix together to create what is known as a slurry, it just means there will be less lumps. Add this slurry to the saucepan and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Once it has thickened to a custard-like consistency turn off the heat and if it goes too thick just add a 1-2 tbsp of oat milk to thin it out.
- Set aside.Melt the plant based butter for the frangipane. In a large bowl, sieve in the self raising flour and icing sugar and add in the almond flour. Add in the melted plant based butter with the water and almond extract and bring together. This is a thick mix.Decore the apples and slice them into ½ cm slices. Add to a bowl along with approx 1/4 of the custard mix and lightly coat each slice of apple. Keep the remaining custard to serve with the tart.
- Add a single layer of the sliced apples lightly coated in custard and carefully spread out the frangipane so you have an even smooth layer. It's easier if you spoon it out and get a nice thin layer and then smoothen it together. Use the remaining apples to create a single layer nicely decorated, finish with a dusting of icing sugar and bake in the preheated oven at 170 degrees C for 25 mins.
- Remove and serve the remaining custard!
