(This post is sponsored by SweeTango.) Helloooo, rustic pie! And calling it “rustic” is a way of making myself feel better about not having those magnificent pie decorating skills. Braids, lattice, leaves…Oh, they look so gorgeous on Pinterest! But in my kitchen? They usually look like a 5 year old attempted to play with pie dough. Just kidding! A 5 year old would do a much better job! And that’s why “perfecting pie crust” is high up on my list of things I want to get better at. Right along with “sourdough bread”, “learning French” and “flipping pizza like a pizzaiolo”. But all things considered, I think my rustic almond apple pie is looking mighty fine, don’t you agree? ?
However, even though looks might be what gets you excited to take a bite of this almond apple pie, its taste is what will make you fall in love. Like a reckless cupid, hitting you with its arrow, straight in the heart. By the time you realize it, you ate a whole pie by yourself! True story. ??? And that was only my test pie. I had to have a slice (or two) of the final one that was baked the next day. Just to make sure all the flavors were still there. ?
The almond apple pie starts with a buttery crust that melts in your mouth. After blind baking it, we fill it with frangipane – a creamy almond filling made with equal amounts of almond flour, butter and sugar – and top with apple slices that were tossed with a bit of sugar and pan fried in butter until perfectly golden. The secret here is to use apples that will hold their shape when cooked. My apple of choice? SweeTango, of course! SweeTango apples are exceptionally crunchy and sweet, with a lively touch of citrus, honey and spice. And they don’t fall apart when cooked, which makes them perfect for this pie. Introduced in 2009, SweeTango has earned raves for its standout flavor and texture. They are harvested in early fall, and are available during apple season across the United States and Canada. I literally wait all year to get my hands on them so I can bake and cook lots of delicious apple things!
You will notice that I have this recipe measured in grams, instead of my usual volume (cups and tablespoons) measurements. When I asked my grandma for her recipe, she gave it to me with mass measures, as that’s how recipes are written in Brazil. So I converted everything to cups and tablespoons and proceeded to bake my delicious almond apple pie. Well, it failed tremendously! It was nothing like my grandma’s pie and, while edible, not blog worthy at all. So I swallowed my pride and decided to dust off my kitchen scale and measure everything like I should have done from the beginning. And guess what? I got it right in one try!
Because of that, I’ve decided that from now I’ll use mass measurements for my baking recipes. It is more precise and easier to measure, meaning you won’t have to use (and wash) a bazillion cups and tablespoons. It will also possibly eliminate the occasional hate mail I get from some readers saying their cake/cookies/pie/tart were too tough/soft/dry/hard/insert your baking catastrophe here. If you wanna be a better baker, get a kitchen scale! They are inexpensive and will guarantee that you get the same results as the person who developed the recipe you are following. So what do you say? Shall we dust off your kitchen scale and start measuring to make this delicious Almond Apple Pie? After all, SweeTango season won’t last forever! ???
Disclosure: This post might contain affiliate links.
