Three Kings Apple Pie
Equipment
- Long pie mold with a removable bottom (14” x 4 1/2”)
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry (this recipe is good for two pies. Freeze half of it for future use.)
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 5 ½ oz. unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- pinch of salt
Almond Paste (this recipe is good for two pies. Freeze half of it for future use.)
- 4 oz. unsalted butter (a stick) at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups cups almond flour (can be bought already made in the supermarket)
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅛ tsp. almond extract
- 2 eggs (beaten)
Apples
- 3 medium size Mackintosh apples
Instructions
- To start, you take out your long pie mold with a removable bottom (14” x 4 1/2” ).
Sweet Pastry Instructions
- In a food processor, mix the flour, butter, sugar and salt until the dough starts to come together.
- Add the beaten eggs and if too thick, a tbsp. of cold water. Pulse one or two more times.
- Take the dough out of the food processor, form a ball with your hands and cut it in half. Wrap one half in plastic film and store it in the freezer.
- Take the other half and immediately flatten it gently with your fingers on the bottom and sides of the buttered pie mold so that it covers it all.
- Let the dough cool for 1/2 hour in the refrigerator and dry-bake it in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for 15 min.
Almond Paste Instructions
- In the food processor, blend the butter, almond flour, sugar and almond extract until it comes together as a smooth paste.
- Add the beaten eggs.
- With a spatula, spread the almond paste on the bottom of the pie crust, leaving a small edge around the crust.
Getting the Apples Ready
- I like Mackintosh apples, they are sweet and for this pie, perfect because when frying, they soften very quickly.
- Peel, quarter and core three medium size apples (any apple will do really. For a less soft apple, the frying will take longer. For a Granny Smith, which is really tart, add more sugar on top of the pie before putting it under the broiler). If some quarters are too wide, cut them in half.
- Dispose the quarters in a frying pan coated with regular oil, over medium to low heat. Let the apples soften (To make sure they are soft enough, poke each piece gently with a knife: The flesh should offer no resistance). Add a little bit of oil when needed.
- The flesh of the apple will change color from pale to golden brown but it should not be burned. Turn the quarters from side to side so each takes on a nice color.
- Once soft, remove to a plate to cool down. When all the pieces are cooked, dispose them one by one on the almond paste with the design of your choice, utilizing all the apples.
- Bake covered loosely with aluminum foil at 375 degree in a pre-heated oven for 20 min.
- Change the oven from bake to broil, sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the top of the apples (more if they are tart apples) and place under the broiler for a few seconds until they take on a nice slightly darker color.
- And voilà!
