Apple Pie and Cinnamon Swirls

Apple pies are to autumn what orange trees and falling leaves are. Although it’s a sweet we make and eat all year round, it’s at this time when we crave it the most. This apple and cinnamon-spiral pie is a version of the classic American “apple pie” made by Martha Stewart that stole our hearts from the moment it crossed our path.

The presentation is very eye-catching and, although more laborious than the traditional version, it’s worth making for a special occasion. If you prefer to buy shortcrust pastry instead of making it at home, great. However, we’ll tell you that you’re missing out on something big. The first option is very practical because it saves time and effort, but the result of the second is infinitely better. We encourage you to make the recipe from start to finish exactly as we explain below. It’s worth it.

Removable rectangular nonstick tart pan De Buyer, Surf T&G wooden board, De Buyer cake server, serrated knife No.113 Opinel and peeler No.115 Opinel

INGREDIENTS (for 8-10 people)

For the shortcrust pastry*:

• 400 g wheat flour
• 150 g icing sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 200 g very cold butter
• 115 ml cold water

*If you’re short on time or prefer a quick version of this pie, you can use store-bought shortcrust pastry.

For the filling:

• 50 g butter at room temperature
• 75 g brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 apples (approximately 500 g)
• 1/2 lemon
• 70 g white sugar
• 10 g vanilla sugar
• 35 g wheat flour
• A pinch of salt

PREPARATION

For the shortcrust pastry

1. With a sharp knife and on a cutting board, we dice the butter (which must be very cold) into small cubes.
2. In a large deep bowl we place the wheat flour, the icing sugar and the salt, stir and add the diced butter. Mix with your hands until you achieve a crumb-like texture with no large lumps; this will only take a few minutes.
3. Next add the cold water and mix again, kneading gently until all ingredients are well combined.
4. Divide the dough into two halves, wrap each in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

For the filling

1. Fill a large deep bowl with cold water. Squeeze the half lemon and add it.
2. Peel and core the apples. Cut each in half and then slice with the help of a sharp knife or a mandoline. Submerge in the lemon-water mixture and set aside until ready to assemble the pie.

Assembly

1. Mix the filling butter with the brown sugar, ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt. You should obtain a spreadable paste. If necessary, warm the butter slightly to soften it a bit.
2. Using a rolling pin roll out one of the pastry halves on a work surface dusted with a little flour. Trim the ends to form a long rectangle.
3. Spread the mixture over the pastry and roll from the longer edge, making sure it’s rolled tightly. Wrap the cylinder in cling film and freeze for 15 minutes.
4. Dust the work surface with flour again and roll out the other half of the pastry with a rolling pin.
5. Line the base and sides of a removable-base rectangular tart pan with it. Remove excess pastry from the edges and chill the pan in the fridge while you continue with the recipe.
6. Drain the sliced apples well and mix them with the wheat flour, both sugars and a pinch of salt. Take the tart base out of the fridge and fill the pan with the mixture.
7. Remove the cinnamon-shortcrust cylinder from the freezer and cut into half-centimeter discs (you will need 30 discs, although the exact number will depend on the pan). Arrange them over the apple filling, overlapping them until the entire surface is covered.

Baking

1. Place the pan on a baking tray, holding it carefully so the base doesn’t slip.
2. Place in the oven preheated to 215º C with top and bottom heat, and bake for 20 minutes. After this time lower the temperature to 180º C and bake 30 minutes more or until the surface is golden.
3. Remove from the oven and let cool before unmolding, slicing and serving.

Revol caractère porcelain plates and Removable rectangular nonstick tart pan De Buyer