Hi everyone! The second challenge of the show was the apple. So, I’ve decided to make some Apple and Cardamom Pies. These pies are made up of a sweet crust, a hazelnut biscuit, an apple and cardamom compote, a cardamom dome, with a caramel insert and fresh apples on the outside!? To decorate the edges, I’ve added some hazelnut chips. I’ve also glazed the domes with a neutral glaze for a shiny look!
For 4 pies of 10cm in diameter:
Sweet crust:
- 140g of flour
- 70g of icing sugar
- 70g of butter
- 17g of hazelnut powder (optional)
- 28g of eggs (about half an egg)
- 1/2 pinch of salt
Hazelnut biscuit:
- 40g of hazelnut powder
- 34g of sugar
- 9g of icing sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 11g of egg whites (1)
- 12g of egg yolks
- 37g of butter
- 1g of baking powder
- 37g of egg white (2) + 5g of sugar
Apple and cardamom compote:
- 2 medium-sized apples
- 15g of butter
- 15g of honey
- 0,5 tsp of cardamom
Outside the Dome:
- 77g of sugar
- 35g of full liquid cream
- 3,2g of powdered gelatin (or sheets)
- 2 medium-sized apples
Cardamom Ganache:
- 100g of full liquid cream (to heat)
- 100g of full liquid cream (cold)
- 2g of cardamom
- 56g of white chocolate
- 2g of powdered gelatin (or 1 sheet of 2g)
Caramel insert:
- 25g of sugar
- 17g of glucose (or honey)
- 50g of full liquid cream
- 0,65g of salt
- 17g of butter
- 2,5g of powdered gelatin (or sheets)
- 2,5 pinches of cardamom
- 1 apple
Neutral glaze:
- 75g of water
- 100g of sugar
- 5g of powdered gelatin (or sheets)
Chips:
- 30g of egg whites (1)
- 4g of sugar
- 22,5g of hazelnut powder
- 22,5g of icing sugar
- 2,25g of corn starch
- + 15g of egg whites (2)
- + 15g of sugar
We’ll start with the caramel insert:
1. Hydrate the powdered gelatin in 6 times its weight in cold water.
2. In a saucepan, heat the sugar and glucose (or honey). Let it cook until everything caramelizes. You can stir with a wooden spatula at the spots that have already caramelized.
3. Bring to boil the cream.
4. Pour the cream little by little over the caramelized sugar.
5. Add the butter and the hydrated gelatin.
6. You can mix with a hand blender if you have some lumps.
7. Peel and cut the apple into small cubes.
8. Pour the caramel into the 5cm holes and add the cubed apples.
9. Freeze overnight or for a couple of hours until it hardens completely.
For the cardamom ganache:
1. Hydrate the gelatin.
2. Bring to boil the 100g of cream with the cardamom. Cover with a plate (or cling film) and let it infuse at least 20min.
3. Melt the white chocolate in a bain-marie.
4. Heat the infused cream and pour it in 3 times over the white chocolate. Mix vigorously.
5. Add the hydrated gelatin and the 100g of cold cream.
6. Wrap with cling film (it must touch the surface) and refrigerate overnight.
For the compote:
1. Peal and cut the apples into small cubes. Place them in a pan with the butter, sugar and cardamom.
2. Cook over medium/low heat for about 20-30min. Don’t forget to stir from time to time. Cook until the apples become very soft.
3. Mix with a hand blender.
4. Réfrigerate until use.
For the sweet crust:
1. Cream the butter and sugar. Make sure to take the butter out of the fridge at least 1h-1h30 before starting.
2. Add the powdered hazelnuts and the eggs.
3. Finish by adding the flour and salt and mix until it forms a homogenous ball.
4. Wrap the dough with cling film and refrigerate at least 1h or until use (you can make it up to 2 days in advance).
For the hazelnut biscuit:
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-assisted.
2. Whisk the 37g of egg whites (2) with the sugar and increase the speed gradually. The egg whites must form soft peaks but shouldn’t be too firm. The texture is similar to shaving foam.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the icing sugar, the sugar and the hazelnut powder. Add the 11g of egg whites (1) and the egg yolks and mix.
4. Melt the butter and let it cook until it has a brown color. You must stir constantly.
5. Pour the butter over the previous mixture and mix.
6. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and combine with a spatula.
7. Finally, add the egg whites and mix delicately.
8. Spread the mixture between the 4 molds of 10cm.
9. Cook for ~10-12min. It must have a golden color.
For the dome:
1. Peel the apples. Use a peeler to create very thin apple strips.
2. Hydrate the gelatin.
3. In saucepan add the sugar and let it caramelize over medium/low heat.
4. Heat the liquid cream and pour it little by little over the caramel.
5. If you have some lumps, heat it again for a few seconds and stir.
6. Off the heat, add the hydrated gelatin.
7. Pour the caramel into a wide dish and let it cool down for a few minutes.
8. Dip one side of the apple strip into the caramel and then place it inside your 8cm holes (the caramel side against the mold)
9. Repeat this process until you’ve covered the mold completely.
10. Freeze while we whip the ganache.
11. Take the cardamom ganache out of the fridge and whip it by increasing the speed gradually. The texture must look like shaving foam, it shouldn’t be too firm.
12. Place the ganache into a pastry bag with no tip.
13. Pour the ganache into the mold, half-way to the top.
14. Unmold the caramel insert and add them on top of the cream. Slightly press them into the ganache.
15. Cover with the cream and smooth the surface.
16. Freeze overnight.
To finish off the base:
1. Take the sweet crust out of the fridge and cut pieces of 70g. Roll each piece between two parchement paper to a 3mm thickness. You can flour your baking paper if the dough sticks.
2. Place the dough over the tart ring and gently bring the edges inside.
3. With your forfinger, press the dough against the walls and create a right angle. Cut the surplus with a knife.
4. Repeat this process 3 more times for 4 pies. You may need to use the scraps to complete the right number.
5. Prick the bottom of the pie with a fork.
6. Freeze them for 10min and preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F fan-assisted.
7. Cook for 12-15min until the bottom and the edges become golden.
8. Let them cool down and unmold.
For the hazelnut chips:
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F.
2. Whip the 30g of egg whites (1) until they form soft peaks, they souldn’t be too firm.
3. Gently incorporate the hazelnut powder and icing sugar in several times.
4. Spread the mixture over a baking sheet and let it cook for about 20min. The biscuit must have a nice golden color.
5. Let it cool down and then crush the biscuit into small pieces.
6. Add the 15g of egg whites (2) and the sugar and make sure that all the pieces are perfectly coated.
7. Lower the oven temperature to 150°C and cook the chips for 15 more minutes. The chips must no longer be sticky.
8. Let them cool down and store them in an airtight container.
Last preparation, the neutral glaze:
1. Hydrate the gelatin.
2. Heat the water and sugar until it reaches 103°C.
3. Off the heat, add the hydrated gelatin.
4. Let it cool down until the temperature reaches 35°C (you can refrigerate it to speed the process).
It’s (finally) time to assemble!
1. Cut the hazelnut biscuit into a 8cm disc.
2. Spread the compote and make sure to also add some at the edges.
3. Unmold the dome and glaze them with the neutral glaze (which should be at 35°C).
4. Place the dome over the compote and decorate the edges with the hazelnut chips.
Your Apple and Cardamom Pies are ready! Refrigerate for 1-2h so the ganache can defrost.
Please feel free to ask all your questions in the comment section and don’t forget to send me pictures of your realisation on my email address: partage@justonemorecake.com or send me a DM on my Instagram account: blog_justonemorecake
