Ingredients (Serves 8)
Frangipane
85g unsalted Castle Dairies Welsh Butter butter at room temperature – it should be nice and soft
85g golden caster sugar
85g ground almonds
50g plain our 1 medium egg
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Jalousie
1 pack ready-made puff pastry
220g mincemeat
1 large eating apple
1 tablespoon brandy or rum
1 medium size egg, beaten to glaze with
1 dessertspoon of Demerara sugar
To Serve
Icing sugar to dust
Crème fraîche to serve
Method
1.First make the frangipane by mixing everything together into a thick paste.
2. Roll the pastry to a thin oblong, 6 inches wide and 18 inches long. Cut in half crosswise to give you 2 x 9 inch long strips. Flour one strip lightly and fold in half lengthways. Make a series of evenly spaced cuts through the folded edges to within one inch of the trimmed edge on both sides. This will give a glimpse of the mincemeat and apples inside, once placed on top and baked.
3.To assemble the jalousie, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the base pastry on the baking sheet and spread with the frangipane, leaving an inch border all the way around.
4. Spoon the mincemeat on top and smooth out to cover the frangipane. Next, lay a line of overlapping cooked apple slices along the centre of the mincemeat and spoon over the rum.
5. Brush the edge of the base all around with some egg wash. Open out the slashed piece of pastry and lay on top. Seal the edges all around and crimp them together. Brush with some egg wash and sprinkle with the demerara sugar.
Place in the centre of a pre-heated oven at 190°C/Fan 170°C/ Gas 5 and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until well risen and beautifully golden. If you think it is browning too quickly you may reduce the oven temperature for the last 5 to 10 minutes and cover with a sheet of foil. Remove from the oven. Dredge lightly with icing sugar and serve warm with some crème fraîche.
Taken from Angela Gray’s Festive Recipes Collection (Graffeg). Photos courtesy of Huw Jones.
