We all love apple pie and the delicious warm flavours of winter… Well this molasses apple pithivier has just that. You have delicious puff pastry wrapped around sweet apples topped with the warm earthy flavours of molasses, brown sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. The complex and acidic flavour of molasses heightens the sweetness and gives room for the other ingredients to sing on your palate. Funny how acidity works. It really can be the secret touch to enhancing many dishes. I promise this recipe won’t disappoint!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
-This recipe is quicker then making pie
-If you love apple pie and gingerbread this recipe will be a home run!
-For this recipe we use premade puff pastry so there is no fuss or muss
-It is a classic dessert that removes the work of making a pie crust
-This dessert will surely please anyone at the dinner table
-Heck! It’s comfort food! Need I say more?
In this article you will learn all about making a molasses apple pithivier, what a pithivier is, and what type of fillings can go into a pithivier.
How to make the best apple pithivier:
With every bite of this delicious treat it reminds me of growing up in a log cabin, the crackling wood burning stove, the woody and earthy smell of the drying kindling, and how the snow would quietly be falling outside. In these memories, I always think of the classics; how apple pie can always warm the soul with it’s spiced flavours, how my family and I would always gather around the fire and talk about our day… especially if the power was out, which was common after a snowfall.
What is a pithivier?
A pithivier is a classic french sweet dish that dates back to the 1600s. Today, most pithiviers are used with savoury fillings. What makes this dish so iconic is that it is made up of two sheets of puff pastry. The filling is placed in the center of one of the pastry sheets and the second sheet is placed over top, then it is sealed with egg yolks. Once the heat bakes the pastry it creates this seamless treat leaving everyone guessing how you got the filling inside.
What type of fillings go in pithiviers?
Pithiviers are literally a blank canvas for anything to be put inside. For savoury fillings, think well seasoned meats and cheeses or roast root vegetables. For sweet fillings, think stone and pome fruit. To make the perfect pithivier, I recommend ensuring your filling is not too runny – you want the filling to hold it’s shape so that it doesn’t leak out the sides when baking.
Molasses Apple Pithivier Baking Overview:
This recipe is great for beginners or busy people on the go! With minimal equipment required, it is the perfect sweet treat to whip up any time you have guests coming over, or are just looking to indulge.
The filling for the recipe needs to be prepared in advance, and chilled completely, before it can be added to the pastry. The filling can be made the night before (even a few days) and stored in the fridge.
For this recipe we use frozen premade puff pastry found at the supermarket. Follow the instructions specific to your puff pastry for the thawing process.
Molasses Apple Pithivier
Equipment
- Large pan
- Large Bowl
- Small Bowl
- Cookie sheet
- Cling wrap
- Pastry brush
- Rubber spatula
- Sharp knife
- Peeler
Ingredients
Filling
- 2.5 apples
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground clove
- 1.5 tsp cornstarch
- 1/3 cup oats
Pastry
- 1 package of premade and frozen puff pastry (397g)
- 2 egg yolks
Instructions
Apple Filling
- Start by coring and peeling the apples. With a mandoline, finely slice apples, then cut into quarters and set aside.
- In a pan, add brown sugar and butter over medium heat, stir continually until it comes to a simmer. Add apples, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and clove. Continue to simmer and stir occasionally until the apples are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork. Reduce heat to low.
- Add cornstarch to a small bowl with equal parts water and mix together to create a slurry. Take a whisk, place it in the center of a pan, then start making small circular motions. Pour the slurry into the track of the whisk. Continue vigorously whisking until the slurry is well incorporated.
- Increase to medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and place in a bowl. Add oats and fold in with a spatula. Cover the surface with cling wrap and place in the fridge until well chilled (4-5 hours or overnight).
Pastry
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Follow thawing instructions of your desired puff pastry. Once ready, lightly flour and sandwich half of the pastry (198g) between two pieces of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough from the center outward, rotating the dough a quarter turn each roll until it is around 1/8th of an inch in thickness.
- Using a 9 inch cake pan as a guide, cut out a 9 inch circle and place in the fridge. Take the scraps and add to the other half of pastry. Repeat the process, but when cutting out the circle add an additional inch to the perimeter. Place in the fridge.
- In a small bowl, add egg yolks and whisk with a fork until smooth.
- Take out apple mixture and pastry from the fridge. Take a cookie sheet and place the smallest pastry circle down, leaving it backed on the parchment paper. Spoon the apple mixture on to the center of the pastry forming a 6.5 inch mound.
- Using a pastry brush dipped in egg yolk, paint along the edges. Take the second pastry circle (the large one) and place over top. Using your fingers, gently form the dough over the apple mixture and lightly press the edges together where the yokes were brushed on.
- Using your thumb as a guide, scallop the edges of the pastry by using a knife to outline your thumb. Once done, use your knife to puncture a small slit on top of the pastry.
- At the base of each scallop, gently drag your knife to the center to score the pasty. It should only scratch the surface of the pastry (not cut all the way through). Lastly, brush the entire pithivier with the egg yolks and place in the freezer for 5 mins.
- Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 mins until it becomes a dark golden colour. Refrain from opening the oven door until at the 45min mark, otherwise you risk the pastry deflating.
- Let cool for 20-30 mins before serving with whipped cream.
- Enjoy!
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