CookEat Recipe
Apple and Cinnamon Offelle
Scalloped sweet pastry rounds filled with thick apple compote, candied peel and cinnamon, glazed before baking and lightly dusted with icing sugar.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 520 g plain flour: 500 g for pastry and up to 20 g for rolling; 240 g icing sugar: 220 g for pastry and 20 g for finishing; 180 g softened butter; 70 g fresh rendered lard; 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk for pastry; 2 additional egg yolks for glazing; 500 g firm tart apples, weighed before peeling and coring; 125 g caster sugar, adjusted to the apples’ acidity if needed; 30 g candied citrus peel, chopped small; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; About 400 ml water for cooking the apples, plus a little for sealing.
Step 2
For the pastry, mix the 500 g pastry flour with 220 g icing sugar. Cut in the butter, lard, two whole eggs and pastry yolk using a blunt knife, then bring together gently by hand. Work as little as possible. If a few dry crumbs will not join, add a teaspoon or two of white wine or Marsala. Flatten, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3
Quarter the apples, peel and remove the cores, then cut into very thin slices. Put in a saucepan with the measured cooking water. Cook, stirring and breaking the slices with a wooden spoon, until completely soft, about 25–40 minutes. Add a little more water only if necessary to prevent catching before the fruit softens.
Step 4
Add the caster sugar only after the apples have broken down. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until a thick spread forms with no loose liquid; this may take another 10–20 minutes. Taste and adjust the sugar to the fruit if needed. Stir in the candied peel and cinnamon last. Spread in a shallow clean dish and cool completely, refrigerating if not assembling promptly.
Step 5
Heat the oven to 175°C and line baking trays with baking paper. Roll the chilled pastry about 3 mm thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut scalloped rounds about 8 cm across, gently gathering and rerolling scraps with minimal handling. Aim for roughly 64 rounds to make about 32 filled pastries; the exact yield depends on thickness.
Step 6
Put a modest spoonful of cold apple filling, about 15–20 g, on half the rounds, leaving a clear border. Lightly mark the upper rounds with a ridged rolling pin, or gently with a fork without cutting through. Moisten the lower edges with water, cover with the upper rounds and press to seal. Brush with the two additional beaten yolks and space on the trays.
Step 7
Bake in batches for about 18–25 minutes until golden and cooked underneath. Keep unbaked pastries refrigerated while waiting. Cool on a rack and dust with the finishing icing sugar. Store covered in the refrigerator at 4°C or below and use within 2–3 days; let servings lose their chill briefly before eating.
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