Whole Wheat Nectarine and Apple Pie

I'm back with another recipe from my new favorite cookbook, Apples for Jam. My kids picked this awesome desert (which originally called for apricots) from the "Orange" section of the cookbook, and I'm am proud to report it didn't last more than a day, and I literally couldn't button my jeans the next day...definitely a good sign. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Nectarine and Apple Pie

"You can use absolutely any fruit you like here - fresh figs are good. I use apple puree for the crust and then put apricots halves on top, but you can stick to all apples, strawberries, or nectarines, and plums are beautiful. You can serve this with one part Greek-style yogurt and one part lightly sweetened whipped cream with a couple of drops of vanilla extract stirred through. This is dripping with health, I feel - I love to have things like this in my kitchen when the kids ask for a snack."

Pastry:

• 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 7 Tbl chilled butter, cut into cubes
• 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
• A few drops of vanilla extract

Filling:

• 2-3 apples
• 3 Tbl butter
• 2 Tbl light brown sugar
• 1 Tbl water
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 6-7 fresh nectarines, quartered, pits removed
• 3 Tbl superfine sugar

To make the pastry, put the flour, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Work it all together with your fingers until you have a sandy mixture. Add the egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla, and carry on mixing until you have a smooth ball. Wrap it up in plastic wrap, flatten and put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes

Meanwhile, peel and core the apples, and cut them into chunks. Put half the butter in a nonstick pan and add the apple chunks, the brown sugar, and a tablespoon of water. Put the lid on and cook over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the apples collapse and turn slightly golden on the bottom. Stir in the cinnamon and squash the apples into a puree with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pastry on a sheet of parchment paper to a circle of about 12 to 13 inches, dusting with a little all purpose flour if necessary. Using the parchment paper, flip the pastry over into an ungreased 9 1/2-inch springform pan [you can use a regular cake or pie pan also]. Let it settle in  before peeling off the paper and pressing the pastry onto the bottom and sides of the pan. Don't worry if the pastry tears, just patch it and press the gaps together.

Spread the apples over the bottom and put the apricots on top. Scatter with superfine sugar, more or less, depending on the sweetness of your fruit. Dot with the rest of the butter, then fold the pastry edge in and over to cover the edge of the filling. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top of the fruit is golden brown in places, and the pastry crisp. Serve plain or with yogurt and whipped cream [or ice cream!]

(Serves 6-8).

Comments

[Debra]

Oh I'm SO making this with strawberries this weekend. With the whole wheat flour it will feel more healthy than the shortbcakes I made last week! Thanks for the tip!

[One Rare Bird]

Let me know how it turns out. I think this will be my official go-to from now on. It definitely feels healthy and tastes amazing!