Cinnamon and Apple Crust Pie with Lemon and Vanilla Custard

Clicca qui per la ricetta in italiano.

I’ve always loved not too sweet desserts. On the contrary I love contrasts, especially those between a neutral or savoury pastry, such as puff, short crust or choux, and sweet fillings like custard, jam or fresh fruit.

This pie takes inspiration from one I had a few years back in a Swedish cafè. It consists on a base of pastry filled with juicy and melt-in-the-mouth cinnamon apple cubes, served with warm vanilla custard. Serious stuff here!

I like how every single element of this dish complements each other, and all the variety of texures involved.

I’m sure you will love to serve and enjoy it on a cosy winter evening, when chilling with friends or as breakfast or tea break.

Ingredients (20 cm tray):
…for the pastry…
140 gr All Purpose Flour
100 gr Vegan Butter
50 ml Cold Water
40 gr Corn Starch
25 gr Icing Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Powder (or extract)
Pinch of Salt
…for the apple and cinnamon filling…
4-5 Medium Apples
4 tbs Lemon Juice
3 tbs Brown Sugar
1/2 tbs Vanilla Extract
1/2 tbs Ground Cinnamon

…for the custard…
300 ml Soy or Rice Milk
15 gr Corn Starch
30 gr Icing Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Powder
Zest 1/2 Lemon (Unwaxed)

Method:

Blend together all the ingredients for the pastry for a few seconds until they come together into a ball. Note: make sure both the butter and the water used are fridge cold!

Wrap the dough in some film and place in the freezer for at least half an hour.

In the meantime peel and chop the apples into cubes and cook the apples in a pan on medium heat with brown sugar and lemon juice until slighly soft (they will finish to cook in the oven later). Turn off the heat and stir in the cinnamon and the vanilla powder.

Preheat the oven at 180° C.

Take the dough out from the freezer and roll it into a circle of around 7 mm thick.

Transfer it onto a pastry tray with some excess of dough on the edges and pierce the bottom a few times with a fork or a skewer.

Blind bake with a weight for 15 minutes (I used dried lentils).

Remove the weight.

Fill the tart with the apple mixture and decorate with a lattice. Using a knife and following the edge of the tray trim the excess of the dough to create a smoother finish.

Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the lattice turns slighly golden.

For the custard:

Weigh the powders and add milk a splash at the time, until completely incorporated with no lumps.

Add the lemon zest peeled (or grated) making sure not to cut in any white bit of the skin, which will give a bittery taste that we will love to avoid.

Cook on low-medium heat until it thickens stirring the custard all the times.

Once the pie has cooled down, cut it into slices and serve with warm vanilla and lemon custard.

Cooked pie can be stored up to 5 days in the fridge, although the bottom will go a bit soggier every day due to the humidity of the apples.

Print Recipe

Cinnamon and Apple Crust Pie with Lemon and Vanilla Custard

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Servings

Ingredients

...for the pastry...

• 140 gr All purpose Flour
• 100 gr Vegan Butter
• 50 ml Cold Water
• 40 gr Corn Starch
• 25 gr Icing Sugar*
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Vanilla Powder or extract
• Pinch of Salt

...for the apple and cinnamon filling...

• 4-5 Medium Apples
• 4 tbs Lemon Juice
• 3 tbs Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tbs Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tbs Ground Cinnamon

...for the custard...

• 300 ml Soy or Rice Milk
• 15 gr Corn Starch
• 30 gr Icing Sugar*
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Powder
• Zest 1/2 Lemon Unwaxed

Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Servings Ingredients ...for the pastry... 140 gr All purpose Flour 100 gr Vegan Butter 50 ml Cold Water 40 gr Corn Starch 25 gr Icing Sugar* 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Vanilla Powder or extract Pinch of Salt ...for the apple and cinnamon filling... 4-5 Medium Apples 4 tbs Lemon Juice 3 tbs Brown Sugar 1/2 tbs Vanilla Extract 1/2 tbs Ground Cinnamon ...for the custard... 300 ml Soy or Rice Milk 15 gr Corn Starch 30 gr Icing Sugar* 1/2 tsp Vanilla Powder Zest 1/2 Lemon Unwaxed

Instructions

1. Blend together all the ingredients for the pastry for a few seconds until they come together into a ball. Note: make sure both the butter and the water used are fridge cold!
2. Wrap the dough in some film and place in the freezer for at least half an hour.
3. In the meantime peel and chop the apples into cubes and cook the apples in a pan on medium heat with brown sugar and lemon juice until slighly soft (they will finish to cook in the oven later). Turn off the heat and stir in the cinnamon and the vanilla powder.
4. Preheat the oven at 180° C.
5. Take the dough out from the freezer and roll it into a circle of around 7 mm thickness.
6. Transfer it onto a pastry tray with some excess of dough on the edges and pierce the bottom a few times with a fork or a skewer.
7. Blind bake with a weight for 15 minutes (I used dried lentils).
8. Remove the weight.
9. Fill the tart with the apple mixture and decorate with a lattice. Using a knife and following the edge of the tray trim the excess of the dough to create a smoother finish.
10. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the lattice turns slighly golden.
11. For the custard. Weigh the powders and add milk a splash at the time, until completely incorporated with no lumps.
12. Add the lemon zest peeled (or grated) making sure not to cut in any white bit of the skin, which will give a bittery taste that we will love to avoid.
13. Cook on low-medium heat until it thickens stirring the custard all the times.
14. Once the pie has cooled down, cut it into slices and serve with warm vanilla and lemon custard.

Recipe Notes

Cooked pie can be stored up to 5 days in the fridge, although the bottom will go a bit soggier every day due to the humidity of the apples.