Walnut pie

Categories: November

Ingredients

• 350g caster sugar
• 200g walnuts, roughly broken, plus 10 extra walnut halves to decorate
• 100ml double cream
• 350g plain flour
• 200g butter, chilled and cut into cubes
• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/fan 160˚C/gas 4. Put a large baking tray in the oven to heat – this will create a hot ‘floor’.

2. Make the pastry. Put the flour, 150g sugar and a pinch of salt into a processor. Add the butter and whizz until it resembles crumbs. Add the egg and briefly whizz until it comes together (add 1-2 tablespoons of cold water if it seems a bit crumbly). Turn out and briefly knead until smooth. Cut off two-thirds (wrap the remainder in cling film and chill) and thinly roll out on a floured surface. Use to line a 20cm round fluted tart tin and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Once the pastrty has chilled, make the filling. In a non-stick frying pan, gently heat the sugar until it has dissolved. Increase the heat and cook without stirring until you get a medium caramel colour. Turn off the heat, stir in the 10 walnut halves. Remove the nuts with a slotted sppon or fork and set aside on baking paper. Add the broken walnuts to the pan with the cream. Stir then quickly transfer to the pastry case, spreading it with a wooden spoon.

4. Roll out the remaining pastry to a 20cm circle and use as a lid to top the pie (freeze the leftover). Seal the edges by pressing the pastry together with your fingers. Prick the middle with a fork. Bake for 25-30 minutes, then remove from the oven and decorate the pie with the caramel walnut halves. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden. Serve warm with clotted cream or vanilla ice cream.

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