What is an Almond Apple Long Pie you may ask. I don't know... I just made it up. It looks good though, smells good too, and tastes... AH MAZING. I am part of a monthly dessert recipe challenge and this month the challenge ingredients were Almond Paste and Pastry. I have never worked with Almond Paste (really had no idea what it was) and I had always wanted to work with puff pastry. Great time to do both.
First of all, almond paste comes in this little box and it is rolled in foil. It has about the same consistency as fondant. When you open the package and get a wiff of the almond, it is a glorious scent. I wanted to put together a dessert that was rich and buttery with the almond flavor as the focus, but then, I thought I needed something more, so I added a thin layer of apples.
Ingredients:
1 7oz package of almond paste
1 box puff pastry
3 granny smith apples
juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup pecan pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg
Directions:
*Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
*On a piece of parchment paper, roll out your puff pastry to a rectangle the length of the cookie sheet you will be using. I didn't do this and I should have. If I had done this, it would have been WAY easier to get my long pie onto the cookie sheet. **learn from my mistakes** LOL
*On another surface, roll out the almond paste as thin as possible. Once it is rolled out, place the almond paste along the center (long ways) of your pastry. It is ok if the almond paste breaks up a little because it is going to be covered.
*Peel and core the apples. Slice as thin as possible and squeeze lemon juice over them to keep them from getting brown.
*Place one layer of apples down the middle of your pastry. If you want a more apple, you can add it, but I wanted to highlight the pastry and the almond paste... the apples were a bonus.
*Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon, then top with the brown sugar.
*Add your pecans in one row down the middle of your apples.
*Cut the butter into tiny cubes and sprinkle on top.
*Evenly score the sides of your pastry dough.
*Starting from the top, fold your edges in, then move from side to side folding the sides in.
*Once your pastry is all closed up, lift your parchment paper directly onto your baking sheet.
*In a small bowl beat the egg with one tablespoon of water.
*Using a pastry brush, brush the top only of your pastry with the egg wash. This will give your finished product a nice golden hue.
*Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown.
**ENJOY**
Seriously... I just cut a piece and it is so good that I have to take this to my neighbor's house. This cannot stay in my kitchen - it is SO good.
Check out some other great recipes below using almond paste and puff pastry.
