Serves 8
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The pastry
125 g (41/2 oz) cold butter, diced
1/3 cup (75 g/22/3 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
2 cups (300 g/101/2 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
pinch of salt
1 free-range egg yolk
2 tablespoons iced water
First layer
2–3 large apples
1/2 cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) water
1/2 cup (110 g/33/4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
2 plump passionfruit
Second layer
200 ml (7 fl oz) condensed milk
1 large free-range egg yolk
juice of 1 lemon
Third layer
2 teaspoons gelatine powder
juice of cooked apples & made up to 1 cup (250 ml/9 fl oz) with water if necessary
1/2 teaspoon lemon essence
1 large free-range egg white
pinch of salt
red food colouring
whipped, sweetened cream
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (fan-forced 160°C/315°F).
2 To make the pastry, put the butter, sugar, sifted flour and salt in a food processor. Pulse blend until coarse knobbly crumbs form. Add the egg yolk and water and process until the mixture clumps. If the mixture is a little dry add more water. Tip the dough out onto a flour-dusted bench and quickly and lightly knead into a smooth ball. Roll out to line a 20 cm (8 in) pie plate or flan pan. Trim the edges and pinch the pastry together with your fingers to decorate. Prick the bottom to prevent it rising in
the centre and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until golden and crisp.
3 To make the first layer, peel, core and slice the apples. Put in a pan with the water and sugar and simmer until the apples are soft and pulpy. Drain
the syrup and reserve it for the third layer. Stir the passionfruit pulp into the apple purée and refrigerate. When cold spoon the mixture into the cooled pastry case, smooth the top and refrigerate.
4 To make the second layer, put the condensed milk with the egg yolk and lemon juice in an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Carefully spread over the apple layer and return the pie to the fridge.
5 To make the third layer, dissolve the gelatine in the reserved warm apple syrup, stir in the lemon essence and set aside to cool. Whisk the egg white and salt in an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form and then colour a pale pink with red food colouring. Keeping the mixer on a high speed gradually add the partly set apple juice and continue beating until the mixture is thick and glossy. Pile on top of the pie and smooth evenly. Decorate with pale pink whipped sweetened cream ‘stars’.
Tip The pastry and the apple purée can be made ahead of time. The gelatine mixture must be very wobbly, not too set or too liquid, when whipped into the egg white.
Recipes and Images from Apple Blossom Pie, by Kate McGhie, published by Murdoch Books
