Here’s a mega delicious dessert that’s also mega easy. If you want it less easy you could make your own pastry, but come on, life’s too short and shop-bought is good stuff. They even sell it in sheets complete with backing parchment.
Ingredients
- 140g softened butter,
- 140g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
- 2 eggs, beaten + ½ for glazing
- 30ml brandy or rum (can be omitted)
- 1 Orange (zest only)
- 25g plain flour
- 140g ground almonds
- 2 packs (sheets) of ready-made puff pastry
Method
Pre: Oven temperature 200C (fan oven) – put a baking sheet in to heat up.
1. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Stir in the extracts.
2. Mix in the eggs, brandy and zest with a tsp of the flour.
3. Fold in the ground almonds & the rest of the flour – mix well and set aside.
4. Roll out pastry & cut a circle from each. (Use a medium plate – about 20cm – 23cm diameter.) Put one circle onto a sheet of baking parchment. This will be the base.
5. Form the filling into a shallow dome on the base sheet of pastry, leaving a 2cm gap around the edge.
6. Brush the edge with egg and add on the top sheet of pastry.
7. Smooth it over from the middle downwards.
8. Crimp the edges with a fork.
9. Egg wash the pithivier, but not the bottom outside edge as this will inhibit the lamination.
10. (optional) Lightly score a pattern with curved lines from the top down. Take care not to cut through the pastry.
11. Use the parchment sheet to lift the pithivier onto the heated baking sheet. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
This Pithivier is lovely eaten hot or cold. When cold, the frangipane filling is firmer. If eaten warm, ice cream is the perfect accompaniment. Try it with my Ridiculously easy Ice Cream.
Flavour ideas:
- Add finely chopped dried apricots either onto the bottom pastry before adding the frangipane or incorporate them into the frangipane before applying.
- Add a little (depending on taste) cocoa powder to the mixture at stage 3.
- Add some flaked almonds as above.
- Brush or smear a layer of jam on the pastry before adding the frangipane mixture.
Retired Bloke on Food n stuff 