Frangipane is a French style baking tradition and macadamias are the perfect nut to create the rich batter that bakes to a sweet, fluffy and nutty filling. Delicious eaten either hot or cold (if it lasts long enough!) and served with thick or whipped cream, this elevated version of a classic apple pie is made extra special by the delectable sweetness of macadamia frangipane.
Ingredients
Apples
- 5 apples peeled, cored and cut into eighths
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Pastry
- 1¼ cups plain flour
- ¼ cup macadamia nuts
- 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 125 g cold butter cut into cubes
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp chilled water
Macadamia frangipane
- 1 cup macadamia nuts
- ⅓ cup plain flour
- 125 g butter
- 1 cup golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- For the apples, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, partially covered with a lid, until the apples are just soft but still retaining their shape. Set aside to cool.
- For the pastry, combine the flour, macadamias and caster sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture is combined and the macadamias are roughly ground. Add the butter and process until the the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the yolk and chilled water and process until the mixture comes together. Gather the dough and gently knead into a thick disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- For the macadamia frangipane, place the macadamias and flour in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a fine crumb. In a separate bowl use electric beaters to combine the butter and sugar until pale and thick, at least 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the macadamia and flour mixture and the vanilla essence and fold in until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- To create the pie, cut ¼ of the dough from the disc, re-cover with plastic wrap and re-refrigerate. With the remaining dough, roll it out to fit a 23cm pie dish. Line the pie dish with the pastry and bake it blind by using baking paper and baking weights for 12 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 8 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool slightly.
- Roll out the remaining pastry and cut a 25cm round circle. With any leftover pastry, cut small leaves and flowers for decoration. Set the pastry top and decorative pieces aside.
- Place the apples on the base of the cooked pie shell. Smooth them out and top with the macadamia frangipane, smoothing it out. Gently lay over the pie top and carefully cut a small air hole in the centre. Decorate with the leaves and flowers. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted through the air hole comes out clean and the macadamia frangipane is cooked.
Nutrition
Calories: 5217kcalCarbohydrates: 549gProtein: 41gFat: 339gSaturated Fat: 151gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gMonounsaturated Fat: 153gTrans Fat: 8gCholesterol: 732mgSodium: 1643mgPotassium: 1910mgFiber: 42gSugar: 351gVitamin A: 7006IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 316mgIron: 17mg
