MKR episode 19 recipe: Apple Custard Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Prep time: 1 hour and 30 minutes, plus freezing

Cook time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Serves 8.

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Ingredients

25g butter

3 green apples, peeled, thinly sliced

1 tbs caster sugar

2 tsp lemon juice

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Vanilla Ice Cream

300ml milk

300ml cream

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

6 egg yolks

150g caster sugar

Pastry

225g plain flour

55g icing sugar

Pinch salt

90g cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 egg

2 tsp iced water

Filling

3 eggs

55g caster sugar

250ml milk

250ml thickened cream

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

Almond topping

100g self raising flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

160g brown sugar

150g butter

100g roasted almonds, coarsely chopped

Method

1. To make ice-cream, stir milk, cream, vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy. Slowly add hot cream mixture, whisking continuously. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over a low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain. Cool. Churn in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

2. To make pastry for pie shell, place flour, icing sugar and salt into a processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter and process to form fine crumbs. Add egg yolk and water and pulse until a dough just comes together.

3. Shape pastry into a large disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 200C. Grease a 23cm square fluted tart tin with removable base.

5. Roll out pastry between two sheets of baking paper and use to line base and side of prepared tin. Prick base all over with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

6. Line pie shell with baking paper and fill with baking beads. Place on an oven tray.

7. Bake for 10 minutes then remove the baking beads and paper. Bake for a further 10 minutes. Cool completely. Brush with egg white (to help keep pastry base crisp).

8. To make almond topping, combine flour, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Add butter and rub into flour mixture using your fingertips. Stir in almonds. Spread onto prepared tray.

9. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crisp.

10. To prepare apples, melt butter in a large non stick frying pan over medium heat. Add apples and sprinkle over sugar. Cook for about 5 minutes or until just tender, turning occasionally. Arrange over base of pie.

11. To make custard filling, whisk eggs and sugar in a bowl to combine.

12. Heat milk, cream and vanilla seeds in a saucepan over medium heat until hot. Gradually whisk cream mixture into egg mixture. Strain over apples in pie shell. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle over topping. Bake for a further 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

13. Serve pie with ice cream.