APPLE & ALMOND PITHIVIER WITH WATTLE-SEED CREAM

Serves 4 (See photograph, page 102)

¾ cup white wine

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

1¼ cups caster sugar

2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled

125g butter, softened

3 eggs

1¼ cups almond meal

2 teaspoons plain flour

375g sheet frozen ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry, thawed extra

1 egg, whisked

WATTLE-SEED CREAM

250g crème fraîche

1 tablespoon ground wattle seed*

Place wine, cinnamon sticks, cloves, ¾ cup of sugar and 1½ cups water in a saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Simmer for 5 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Add apples and simmer for 5–6 minutes or until they begin to soften. Remove from heat. Cover pan and set aside to cool. Using a slotted spoon, remove apples from syrup. Cut into quarters, then core and cut into 5mm-thick slices. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until well combined. Add almond meal and flour, and stir until combined. Transfer to an airtight container and place in refrigerator for 1 hour or until firm. Spoon almond mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Cut two 19cm discs from pastry. Place 1 disc on prepared tray. Leaving a 2cm border, pipe almond mixture in a circular pattern over pastry disc until completely covered. Arrange apple slices, slightly overlapping, over almond mixture. Using a small sharp knife, gently score a large pinwheel pattern into remaining pastry disc, taking care not to cut all the way through. Brush edge of pastry on tray with egg and cover with scored pastry disc. Gently press pastry to remove any air bubbles, then lightly press edge to seal. Brush top of scored pastry with egg. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden and crisp. To make wattle-seed cream, place crème fraîche in a bowl and sprinkle with wattle seed. Serve with pithivier. *Available at specialty food outlets and delicatessens.