Spiced Butterscotch Apple Pie
Spiced Butterscotch Apple Pie made with a nutty spiced sweet shortcrust pastry crust, fresh apples and my favourite Apple Butterscotch Sauce.
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Ingredients
Crust (Spiced Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
- 200 grams Unsalted Butter Softened to room temperature
- 50 grams Icing/Powdered Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 64 grams Ground Almonds / Almond Flour
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 300 grams All-Purpose/Cake Flour
Apple Butterscotch Sauce
- 125 ml Fresh Apple Juice Preferably pressed/cloudy apple juice
- 65 grams Soft Brown/Demerara Sugar
- ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Cream Room temperature
- 30 grams Unsalted Butter Cubed and room temperature
- ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract
Apple Filling
- 6 - 7 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples Peeled, cored and diced
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
Instructions
Crust (Spiced Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
- Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl or the bowl of your mixer. Add the icing/powdered sugar and mix together until smooth
- Next add the egg, ground almonds / almond flour, cinnamon and salt to the sugar and butter and mix until well combined. Add the flour a bit at a time and mix until incorporated
- Divide the dough into ⅔ and ⅓ portions for the bottom crust(s) and lid(s)
- Place the dough for the bottom crust (⅔) onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a circular shape, a little larger than the pie dish(s) or tart tin(s) you are planning to use. You can use 1 x 20cm pie dish, or 4 to 6 x 13cm tart tins to make individual portions. If making multiple smaller versions, then divide the ball of dough evenly before rolling out
- Place the dough into the dish(s)/tin(s) and ensure that the bottom and sides are covered. The pastry is very soft and will most likely break when moving, so patch any holes or cracks if you need to
- Remove any excess dough using the rolling pin and/or a small pairing knife. Use any excess pastry to patch up holes, cracks or irregularities if needed
- Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork and place it in the freezer for around 30 minutes while you preheat your oven
- Repeat the rolling with the ⅓ of dough left and cut into the desired shape(s) you wish to use for the lid, or cut into a round, just slightly larger than the tin/dish. Once rolled and cut, place on a piece of baking paper lined plate or board and place in the fridge to chill until needed
- Preheat the oven to 190°C. When hot, remove the pastry case from the freezer, line with baking paper or foil and use baking beans, or dried beans or rice to weigh down the pastry. Make sure that no pastry is visible at this point. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the baking paper and beans/weights and bake uncovered for a further 10 – 15 minutes. You don't want the pastry to brown or shrink. It is ready when there are no visible 'wet' spots and it turns a light golden. Remove and set aside until filling
- Turn the oven temperature down to 180°C
- Note: To save time, prepare the sauce and apples either while the crust is chilling or while it is baking
Apple Butterscotch Sauce
- Ensure that the cubed butter and cream are at room temperature (if still cold when adding to the sauce, the sauce will split*)
- Add the apple juice to a small saucepan and bring the juice to a boil. Gently boil until the juice has reduced by half, stirring occasionally. This should take around 5 minutes
- Add the sugar, cinnamon and salt, and stir until it has dissolved
- Then add the cream and butter, a little at a time, stirring constantly until well combined
- Bring back to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes or so, then remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and set aside to cool
Apple Filling & Assembly
- Peel and core the apples then cut into smallish dice sized pieces. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and toss until well covered
- When the crust has blind baked and your sauce and apples are prepped and ready, remove the pastry for the lid from the freezer
- For this amount of apples you will need to add ⅓ - ½ cup of the butterscotch sauce. Mix through
- Note: You want the apples well coated but not too much liquid as the apples will give off their own liquid while baking. Too much sauce can lead to a soggy bottom. Rather reserve some sauce for serving
- Add the apples to the crust and gently smooth out so that you have a good even layer. You can gently pack them down with the back of a spoon. Don't be shy with the apples
- Prepare an egg wash (1 egg whisked with a dash of milk or water). Using a pastry brush, gently brush around the top edge of the crust to help the lid stick. Add the lid and gently seal to the edge of the crust. If using cut outs, brush with egg wash before adding layers
- Evenly brush the lid with the egg wash (ensure you have a steam hole or uncovered areas for the steam to escape). Sprinkle with golden castor sugar if you wish to add a finishing touch
- Bake at 180°C for 30 - 40 minutes (depending on the size of your pie(s), until evenly golden
- Remove and let cool on a wire cooling rack
Notes
*If your sauce splits, adding it back into the saucepan and gently heat while stirring. It will come back together
Important: Ensure that the pastry remains chilled and covered at all times when not in use and prior to baking. If the pastry warms up it can easily leak or even become oily during baking due to the butter content
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