South African Nectarine and Hazelnut Open-crust Pie
You don’t have to been the winner of the Great British Bake Off to create this easy-going free-form pie! The whole idea is that it is loose and relaxed, so why not roll up your sleeves and make this sensational bake?
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Serves: 8
260g plain flour
1/2tsp salt
1tbsp caster sugar
130g butter, chilled and cut into pieces
40g ground hazelnuts or ground almonds
1 egg, beaten
Chilled water, to mix
Filling:
40g ground hazelnuts or ground almonds
4 South African nectarines or peaches, pitted and sliced
50g hazelnuts or almonds, roughly chopped
75g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Crème fraiche, cream or ice cream, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C, Fan Oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6.
Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the ground hazelnuts or almonds, then add 2tbsp beaten egg and 1tbsp chilled water, stirring with a knife to bring the mixture together to make a soft (not sticky) dough. Knead lightly for a few seconds until smooth. Wrap and chill for 10 minutes.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a circle with a diameter of about 38cm. Transfer to a baking sheet (the pastry will overlap). Brush the surface with beaten egg.
Sprinkle the ground hazelnuts or almonds over the pastry to within 7cm of the edge, then arrange the nectarines or peaches on top. Sprinkle with the sugar, then scatter the chopped hazelnuts or almonds over the fruit. Fold the pastry over to form a border, tucking and sealing it to make a free-form pie. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with extra sugar.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or cold with crème fraiche, cream or ice cream.
Cook’s tip: Another time, try using delicious South African plums in this gorgeous recipe.
