Authentic Dutch Apple Pie (Appeltaart)

from ButterYum

makes one deep dish pie (9-inch springform pan)

Ingredients

Almond Paste (make one week in advance for best flavor):

(use about 1/3 of this paste in the pie - the rest can be frozen for use later)

• 250g whole almonds

• 250g powdered sugar

• 1 egg, beaten

Soaked raisins (soak overnight for best flavor):

• 120g raisins (Anja prefers golden raisins, but regular raisins are okay)

• hot water

• 2 tablespoons spiced rum (optional)

Filling:

• 900g peeled and thinly sliced baking apples, 6-8 medium (Anja prefers Galas - avoid overly juicy varieties)

• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• juice of 1/2 lemon (or lime)

Pastry:

• 360g flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 pound butter, room temperature

• 180g light brown sugar

• pinch of salt

• pinch of white pepper (black is okay too)

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1-2 tablespoons water

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tablespoon corn starch

Directions

To make the almond paste:

1. Blanch almonds by soaking them in hot water for a few minutes, remove from hot water and cover with ice to cool, slip brown skins off.

2. Place blanched almonds on a sheet tray and put into a 350F oven to dry completely and toast slightly until they smell fragrant.

3. Cool completely and grind in a food processor.

4. Combine ground almonds, powdered sugar, and beaten egg. Mixture should be somewhat sticky.

5. Store the paste in the fridge for at least a week for the flavor to develop.

To prepare the raisins:

1. Plump raisins in hot water, drain water, add spiced rum and soak overnight.

To make the filling:

1. Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice.

2. Set aside while preparing pastry.

To make the pastry:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, butter, brown sugar, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon; add 1-2 tablespoons of water and process until the dough forms into a ball.

2. Divide the pastry into 2 unequal portions (the larger portion should be approximately 2/3 of the dough; the smaller 1/3).

To assemble and bake the Appeltaart:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Press large ball of pastry dough into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.

4. Brush the bottom pastry with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with cornstarch.

5. Pour 1/2 the apples into the prepared pastry.

6. Add rum-soaked raisins (including any remaining rum); crumble about 1/3 of the homemade almond paste over the apples; add the remaining apples.

7. Decorate top of appeltaart with remaining pastry by rolling into a snake shape and pressing into a lattice pattern.

8. Brush lattice with beaten egg white.

9. Wrap bottom of springform with foil to prevent leaking juices from dripping in your oven.

10. Loosely tent top with foil.

11. Bake in a 375F oven for 45 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.

12. Cool completely before unmolding.