Apple Frangipane Pie

Pie Dough

1. Place flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Cut butter into chunks, and add to the flour. Toss lightly to coat. Working quickly, using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until there are only large pea-sized chunks left. You want a few lumps of butter remaining to keep the pastry nice and tender.
   
   
2. Combine ice, water and cider vinegar in a bowl. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the ice water into the flour and butter mixture, and using a stiff spatula or your hands, mix in well. Continue adding water a tablespoon at a time ( I normally need about 8-10 tbsp) until you have a dough that holds together well, but is not too wet. Squeeze together with your fingertips to make a homogenous dough. Shape into a rectangle, and wrap in plastic wrap. Rest in the fridge for at least two hours, or preferably overnight. (See notes for rolling out dough during resting period).
   
   
3. Once the dough has rested, place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to ¼” (6mm) in thickness, turning the dough 45˚ often as you are rolling to keep it even. You want the rectangle to be larger than your baking sheet - you need to allow for the sides and also space for folding over the edge. Transfer to a 9”x13” quarter baking sheet, and arrange to ensure that the dough is well settled.
   
   
4. Trim the dough using scissors or a sharp knife, leaving about 1.5 inches excess around the edges. Gently tuck the dough under and onto itself, to give you a neat folded edge. Chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes, then remove from the fridge and crimp as desired. Chill until ready to use - this can also be prepared the day before and frozen overnight.

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and Taylor Pass Honey Co Creamed Clover Honey until just combined. Add the almond meal, egg, vanilla, and salt, and mix until incorporated. Spread into the chilled crimped pie crust and smooth down with an offset spatula. Place in the fridge while you prepare the apples.

1. Working with one Envy apple at a time (so you don’t peel too many and waste them, or so that they don’t brown), peel the apple, and then cut the fruit from the core in 4 pieces (you will end up with 2 bigger pieces and 2 smaller pieces). Trim each piece so that it has straight sides - for the bigger pieces cut off each end where the stem and the bottom would be, and then cut off each side so that you have a piece that is relatively rectangular in shape. For the smaller pieces just cut off the stem and bottom ends, the other two sides should already be straight. Make vertical cuts to give you apple slices of even thickness. Repeat with the other pieces of apple.
   
   
2. Take five slices of apple, and fan them out slightly. Place onto the frangipane filling lining up with the long edge (we will call this vertical). Take a second five slices (you can use extra slices from different apple segments, just stack them up before you fan them out, and place them the opposite way to the first group of apple slices (horizontal). Place them fairly close to the previous slices, as they will shrink down slightly. Place the next five vertical, and the next horizontal, and so on and so forth (see photos). Once you have placed down one apple’s worth of slices, brush with lemon juice, then repeat the process with another apple. Continue this until the pie is covered in apple slices.
   
   
3. Chill the pie in the fridge for 20 minutes. While the pie is resting, preheat the oven to 425°f/ 220°c. Place a baking tray on the bottom rack of the oven.
   
   
4. Brush the crimped edge of the pie with egg wash, and place onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 425°/220°, and then reduce the oven temperature to 375°/190° and bake for a further 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown, the apples are beginning to go golden and are soft to the touch, and the frangipane is beginning to turn golden.
   
   
5. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before glazing with the honey glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.
   
   
6. Place the honey, water, vanilla bean paste and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, boil on low heat for 1 minute, and then remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.