Apple and rhubarb pies

Add an Indigenous Australian twist to the classic apple and rhubarb flavour combination with wattleseed. The edible seed of the Australian acacia tree, wattleseed adds a nutty, chocolate-like flavour to sweets, drinks and desserts.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• makes

  12

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• Thick cream, to serve

For the pastry

• 75 g plain flour, to dust
• 2 sheets all-butter puff pastry, thawed
• 2 tbsp ground wattleseed, plus extra to serve

For the apple filling 

• 12 red apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1 cm cubes (approximately 800 g)
• 8 rhubarb stems, cut into 1 cm cubes (approximately 400 g)
• 300 g caster sugar
• 10 g ground wattleseed

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C (fan-forced). Lightly dust a work surface with the plain flour then lay out the butter puff pastry. Sprinkle with the ground wattleseed and gently press the spice into the surface of the pastry. Use a 10 cm cutter to cut out 12 rounds out of the wattleseed pastry, then press into a muffin tin to create small pastry shells.
   
2. Place individual scrunched up squares of baking paper over the pastry shells, then fill with baking beans or rice. Blind-bake the pastry shells for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180˚C and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove the pastry shells from the oven, remove the baking beans and paper and bake for 4 minutes further, to dry out the pastry completely. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
   
3. To make the filling, preheat the oven grill to high. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling and toss well to combine. Transfer to a large baking tray lined with baking paper, then grill for 10-15 minutes, stirring gently every 3 minutes, or until softened.
   
4. Remove the fruit mixture from the grill, then spoon gently into the baked pastry cases. Use a palette knife to smooth the tops, then serve with a dollop of thick cream and a sprinkle of ground wattleseed.
   

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.