Trevor Donegan, executive head chef at the Athlone Springs Hotel, shares a recipe exclusively prepared for Advertiser readers. Please email head chef, Trevor Donegan directly on [email protected] with comments or questions.
Apple and toffee crumble pie
Ingredients
For the pastry
225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
75g icing sugar
Pinch of salt
150g butter
1 free range egg yolk
1 free range egg
For the toffee
1 tbs oil
220g dark brown sugar
50g golden syrup
65g black treacle
3g cream of tartar
For the filling
100g butter
100g sugar
8 apples (Granny Smith ) peeled and diced
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of one orange
For the crumble topping
100g plain flour
40g butter
50g caster sugar
20g ground almonds
5g flaked almonds
10g chopped walnuts
Method
For the toffee
Line a tray with baking parchment and grease it with oil.
In a pan, bring 125ml water to the boil with the dark brown sugar. When the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and add the cream of tartar, golden syrup, and black treacle. Return to the heat and cook until it reaches 140C on a sugar thermometer - approximately 10 minutes, do not leave the pan unattended. Once it reaches 140C, pour the mixture straight into the lined tin and leave to cool.
For the pastry
Preheat the oven to 150C. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and then the sifted flour and salt. Mix into a ball then wrap the pastry in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to about 5mm thick. Line a 20cm/8in tart ring with the pastry and gently push into the base. Line with baking paper and cover with baking beans. Place in the fridge for an hour to rest. Bake for 35 minutes, then remove the baking beans and paper and bake for another five-10 minutes, or until cooked all the way through and a light golden-brown colour. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
For the filling
Melt the butter, sugar, and orange zest in a pan. Add the apples and the cinnamon and cook until the apple is soft, then remove from the heat. Pour the mixture into a sieve to remove any excess liquid. Discard the cinnamon stick and leave the apples to cool.
For the crumble topping
Preheat the oven to 180C. Mix the plain flour, caster sugar, ground almonds, flaked almonds, and butter together with your hands, using your fingertips to rub the dry ingredients into the butter.
Place this mixture on a baking tray and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden-brown and crumbly. Stir the crumble every five minutes so that it cooks evenly. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
To assemble the pie, spoon the apple mixture into the cooked pastry case. Break the toffee into chunks and place a few over the top of the apple (you will not need all the toffee ). Completely cover the apple mixture with the toasted crumble and then dot a few more pieces of toffee on top.
Bake in the oven at 180C for 10 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the toffee has melted.
To download Trevor’s delicious recipes please go to the Athlone Springs Facebook page.
