A nutty twist on classic apple pie redefines autumn baking

In the fall, we love apple pies. Each of us has our favourite additions to them: it could be meringue, custard, or a large amount of crumble. My cousin, however, went for nuts. But she didn't add them to the apple filling; instead, she added them to the dough.

For me, the less dough in an apple pie, the better. However, in the case of this one, prepared with the addition of ground nuts, that doesn't hold true. It's delicious, aromatic, and perfectly complements the taste of apples. You can use up a stock of walnuts or replace them with peanut flour.

Peanut flour is made by grinding partially defatted peanuts. Additionally, sometimes it is roasted to achieve a more distinct flavour and drier consistency. This type of flour is quite heavy, moist, and brown. Its taste can be described as sweet with a distinct nutty note. It is low in carbohydrates and gluten-free. It contains a lot of protein, fibre, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, B vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals such as zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and selenium. It is great for all kinds of sweet baked goods.

Dough:

• 6 eggs,
• 170 grams of peanut flour or ground walnuts,
• 115 grams of sugar,
• 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs,
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour,
• 2 tablespoons of semolina,
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder,
• a pinch of salt.

Apple filling:

• 2 kilograms of apples,
• 100 millilitres of water,
• 2 packets of lemon or gooseberry jelly,
• 3 tablespoons of sugar,
• juice of half a lemon,
• half a teaspoon of cinnamon,

Additionally:

• tea with lemon to soak the dough,
• a handful of walnuts for decoration,
• grated dark chocolate for decoration, optional.

Preparation method:

1. Whip the eggs on high speed until light and fluffy. At the end of whipping, add the sugar.
2. Reduce the mixer speed and add the peanut flour or ground nuts mixed with all-purpose flour, semolina, breadcrumbs, salt, and baking powder. Mix just for a moment to combine the ingredients.
3. Pour the mixture into a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Place it in an oven preheated to 175°C. Bake the cake in conventional mode for 25 minutes.
4. Cut the cooled cake into two equal layers.
5. Peel the apples, cut them into quarters, core them, and grate them on a coarse grater. Transfer them to a pan and simmer over medium heat until soft. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Dissolve the jellies in 100 millilitres of hot water. Remove the apples from the heat, pour in the hot jelly, and mix. Let the mixture cool until it begins to thicken slightly.
7. Soak the cake layers with tea.
8. Spread the thickening apple mousse on one layer, smooth it out, and cover with the second layer.
9. Put the cake in the refrigerator for a few hours. Before serving, decorate it with chopped walnuts and grated chocolate.