From tea time to the cake stall, when it comes to baked goodies, you can’t go past the classic cakes, then learn how to cook a good rhubarb pie ! Also works as a perfect Mother’s Day dessert recipe.
Prep + cook time : 2 hours (+cooling and refrigeration)
Serving : 8
Ingredients:
5 large apples (1kg), sliced thickly
1⁄3 cup (75g) caster (superfine) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways
500g (1lb) trimmed rhubarb, chopped coarsely
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons almond meal
1 egg, beaten lightly
1 tablespoon demerara sugar ALMOND PASTRY
2½ cups (375g) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ cup (60g) almond meal
1 cup (160g) icing (confectioners’) sugar
250g (8oz) cold butter, chopped
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon iced water, approximately
Method:
Combine apple, caster sugar, ½ cup (125ml) water and one half of the vanilla bean in a large saucepan over high heat, cover; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; cook for 10 minutes or until apple is tender. Stir in rhubarb; cook, covered, for a further 3 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Drain well. Transfer fruit mixture to a medium bowl; stir in juice. Cool.
Make almond pastry.
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
Roll two thirds of the pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line a deep 24cm (9½in) pie dish. Lift pastry into dish, press into base and side; trim edge. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line pastry with baking paper; fill with dried beans or rice. Place on an oven tray; bake for 20 minutes. Remove paper and beans; bake for a further 15 minutes or until browned lightly. Cool.
Sprinkle almond meal evenly over base of pastry case. Spoon fruit mixture into pastry case. Brush edge of pastry case with a little egg. Roll remaining pastry between sheets of baking paper until 5mm (¼in) thick. Cut 1.5cm (¾in) wide strips from pastry; arrange strips in a lattice pattern over filling. Trim edges, pressing to seal. Brush pastry with remaining egg; sprinkle with demerara sugar.
Bake pie for 35 minutes or until browned lightly. Stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
almond pastry Scrape seeds from remaining half of vanilla bean. Process flour, almond meal, icing sugar and butter until crumbly. Add egg yolks, vanilla seeds and the water, a little at a time, processing until ingredients just come together. Knead on a floured surface until smooth. Enclose in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Tip: The pastry case can be made a day ahead; store in an airtight container.
THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY: AUSTRALIA BAKES RRP: $49.99; HARDBACK
Available where all good books are sold andwww.awwcookbooks.com.au
