It's a favourite dessert, a taste of our childhood, and it's especially seasonal. Try this delicious apple pie. My grandmother's recipe, to be enjoyed by a roaring fire with a cup of hot chocolate.
An incredible shortbread pastry
No need to buy ready-made dough. In any case, for my grandmother, that would have been inconceivable. So let's put our hands to work. Here's THE recipe for grandma's shortcrust pastry:
1 On a work surface, sift 250g of flour, add 125g of cold butter, cut into pieces, and work with your fingertips.
2 Add 60g icing sugar and 40g almond powder. Mix.
3 Make a well to add a beaten egg, seasoned with a pinch of salt. Mix quickly with your hands to form a ball of dough.
4 Cover and leave to stand in a cool place for 1 hour.
5 Roll out the shortcrust pastry in a pie tin (ideally 26cm diameter). Trim the edges. Keep in a cool place.
Variation : you can replace the almond powder with hazelnut powder.
An almond cream to die for
1 In a food processor or with a mixer, cream 100g butter with 100g caster sugar.
2 Add 100g of almond powder. Mix.
3 Mix in 2 whole eggs and 10g flour to obtain a smooth, fluffy almond cream.
4 Spread the cream on the shortcrust pastry. Put in a cool place.
Variation : you can add a little rum or bitter almond oil to your cream.
Lovingly-sliced apples
Peel 3 Royal Gala apples and cut them in half. Remove the seeds and cut into thin slices. You can use a mandolin to make the slices equal, but a good paring knife will be just as effective! Cover the almond cream with these beautiful apple slices. Arrange them in a rosette shape. Decorate with a few slivered almonds.
Variation : you can also decorate your apple pie with roasted hazelnuts. Yummy !
Successful cooking
Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake your pie for 30 to 40 minutes. The almond cream should rise slightly between the apple slices. This is when the whole house smells just like your childhood memories !
Don't forget the perfect finish
A little tip to finish this tart off nicely: once the tart is warm, soak a brush in apricot jam and brush it over the apples to make them shine.
