I’ve been experimenting with tartes (pies) recipes lately. I’ve finally found one that I like.
Here’s a picture, although it’s not the final recipe I’ve tried, this one in the picture, the crust was a bit too thin and the fruits are a bit messy, but nevermind. I’ll post a better picture at some point.
I used to be lazy and just buy ready made multi-purpose paste at the supermarket, that’s why I was still experimenting. I can’t find any here. So, I’m learning how to do the paste myself.
Ingredients :
– wheat flour : 250g
– cinnamon powder
– vegetable oil : 15ml
– coconut milk : 125ml
– 1 egg
And
– coconut floss
– apples
Usually, the paste from the supermarket doesn’t contain milk/coconut milk or eggs and is made with palm oil. I’ve used sunflower oil here. I added an egg so that the paste is a bit like a biscuit. Also coconut milk is quite oily, if you choose to use soy milk or water instead, maybe you will need to add more oil or the crust might be too hard. Most recipes I’ve seen online contain 50ml or even 100ml of oil. I’ve tried with 50ml, I really don’t like greasy stuff. The crust was softer and all, but it was too greasy for me. Most pastes from the supermarket don’t contain sugar as they’re multi-purpose (for sweet and salty recipes), so I didn’t add any either. You can add some if you like your pies extra sweet.
In a bowl, add the flour and the cinnamon powder, mix a little, so that it’s homogeneous, add the egg, the oil and the coconut milk, stir a little with a spoon, then mix it with your hand until you have a paste ready to use. I’ve read to not overdo this or the paste will become elastic.
Flatten the paste with a pastry roll. This needs a tiny bit of practice : too thick might feel “too pasty”, too thin might render the crust too hard.
Put the paste in a mold, take the excess off. Pick the paste with a fork all over the bottom (the surface, don’t make full holes, you shouldn’t be able to see through/see the mold).
Cover the bottom with coconut floss. Then cover with apples.
This recipe is even better with pears. The type of pears you can find in France. The ones sold in China are not quite good for this recipe, as they’re like a mix between an apple and a pear and they don’t really soften when cooked. Or use peaches. Make sure to use juicy fruits, so that the coconut floss is a bit humidified when cooking.
Cook in the oven for 25mn at 180 degrees (Celsius).