Ingredients
For the dough:
9 tablespoons butter, softened
1.2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 cup finely ground almonds
1 1/4 cups flour
For filling:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup white wine (I used a Souvignon Blanc, but a sweeter wine like a Muscato might be interesting!)
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons flour
5-6 crisp red apples (like Gala, Braeburn or Fuji )
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a pie pan.
For the dough:
In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugar.
Add vanilla extract and orange zest. Then, add the egg and almond meal.
Add the flour and mix until it all comes together.
Transfer the dough to the pie pan and spread it around covering the base and sides of the pan.
Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
For the filling:
Combine the flour, sugar, vanilla and orange zest. Mix and add the eggs and a splash of the milk.
Once it has the consistency of a paste, add the remaining milk and wine.
Transfer to a saucepan; bring it to a boil. Transfer to a bowl and cover the surface of the cream with clear plastic wrap then set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, Begin peeling your apples in a circular spiral -try to get them as thick as possible-, continuing all the way toward the core.
Wrap the apple strips into a rosebud by curling them around your finger.
Bake the pie until the dough is baked and the apples are a little bit golden (1 hour to 1 1/4 hour).
Serve at room temperature.
Key Points About Ingredients:
- Crisp apple varieties like Gala, Braeburn, or Fuji hold their shape best when peeled into long spiral strips and rolled into rosebuds — avoid soft apples like McIntosh which may fall apart.
- Finely ground almonds (almond meal) add a subtly nutty richness to the shortcrust that sets it apart from a standard pastry dough.
- White wine in the pastry cream adds a sophisticated depth; a sweeter Moscato will yield a dessert-forward cream while a dry Sauvignon Blanc keeps it more balanced.
- Powdered sugar in the dough produces a smoother, more tender crumb than granulated sugar, making it melt-in-your-mouth delicate.
- Pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the hot pastry cream prevents a skin from forming as it cools.
Key Nutritional Insights:
- Apples contribute natural dietary fiber and vitamin C, adding a nutritional boost to this indulgent dessert.
- Whole milk and egg yolks in the pastry cream provide calcium, vitamin D, and choline, supporting bone and brain health.
- Almonds are a source of healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, and magnesium, making the crust more nutrient-dense than a traditional all-butter pastry.
- Each serving contains moderate added sugars from both the dough and cream layers, so savoring a smaller slice is a satisfying and mindful approach.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size1
- Amount per serving
- Calories520
- Standard DV% Daily Value*
- Total Fat24 g72 g33.33%
- Saturated Fat11 g20 g55%
- Trans Fat0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat9 g
- Cholesterol145 mg300 mg48.33%
- Sodium105 mg2300 mg4.57%
- Total Carbohydrate67 g275 g24.36%
- Dietary Fiber4 g28 g14.29%
- Total Sugars42 g
- Added Sugars28 g50 g56%
- Sugar Alcohal0 g
- Protein9 g50 g18%
- Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)48 mcg20 mcg240%
- Calcium120 mg1300 mg9.23%
- Iron2 mg18 mg11.11%
- Potassium320 mg4700 mg6.81%
- Vitamin A520 mcg900 mcg57.78%
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)6 mg90 mg6.67%
- Vitamin E (Tocopherol)3 mg15 mg20%
- Vitamin K5 mcg120 mcg4.17%
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)0.15 mg1.2 mg12.5%
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)0.22 mg1.3 mg16.92%
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)1.2 mg16 mg7.5%
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)0.1 mg1.7 mg5.88%
- Folate28 mcg400 mcg7%
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine)0.4 mcg2.4 mcg16.67%
- Biotin6 mcg30 mcg20%
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)0.7 mg5 mg14%
- Choline95 mg550 mg17.27%
- Phosphorus175 mg1250 mg14%
- Iodine18 mcg150 mcg12%
- Magnesium38 mg420 mg9.05%
- Zinc1.1 mg11 mg10%
- Selenium12 mcg55 mcg21.82%
- Copper0.2 mg0.9 mg22.22%
- Manganese0.6 mg2.3 mg26.09%
- Chromium3 mcg35 mcg8.57%
- Molybdenum8 mcg45 mcg17.78%
- Chloride95 mg2300 mg4.13%
