This is an ideal dinner party dessert.
ingredients
serves 8
1 3/4 cups All purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup ground filberts
1/2 cup butter, diced
1/2 cup sugar
4 medium-sized egg yolks
grated rind 1 lemon
for the filling
1 pound dessert apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon apricot jam
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped candied peel
2 tablespoons Seedless white raisins or raisins
2 tablespoons currants
for the decoration
confectioners sugar
2/3 cup whipped cream
8 whole filberts
method
1. Sift the flour, salt and ground filberts into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Put the butter, egg yolks, lemon rind and sugar in the centre. Work the ingredients together with your fingertips until incorporated in a dough. Knead the dough until smooth by pressing with the heel of your hand then gathering it up again into a ball. Put in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, to make the filling, put the apples in the pan with the apricot jam and lemon rind. Simmer until soft. Add the dried fruit, simmer 5 more minutes, then cool.
3. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Divide the pastry in half and roll out into two rounds about 9 inch in diameter. Bake on two greased baking sheets for 10 minutes. While still warm, cut one round into 8 portions. Leave the pastry to get cold.
4. Spread the cold puree over the whole pastry round, then top with the cut round. Sift powdered sugar over the top. Use a star nozzle to pipe a rosette of cream on each portion. Top each with a whole hazelnut. Cooking time: 2 hours including cooling time
• The pastry can also be sandwiched together with well-blotted sliced, canned peaches and 3/4 cup whipped thick cream.
