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Saturday, July 12, 2014

Apricot Fig Pie with Pistachio Almond Sand

I was recently gifted with fresh juicy apricots and figs.  Fresh figs off the tree, so juicy and fabulous, you can't help but let out a little sigh when taking the first bite.  When I cut them for this pie, I felt amazed at how intricate their interior design is.  It's like post modern meets classic.  Then I saw them blush for having their intimate parts are so rarely exposed fresh.  The apricots are equally amazing, but their interior design is minimalist, yet eternally classy.
I have to admit when I started making this pie, I had no idea where I was going with it, apart from the fact I wanted apricots and pistachios in it.  As I went along, I realized I didn't have enough apricots to cover the whole pie..so I grabbed the last 2 figs and completed the filling.  As I doubted myself, my little voice told me to keep it up, even if the figs weren't enough, we'll find something.  The best part of traveling is the journey, not the destination, right?
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
400g (about 8 whole) apricots, pitted and cut into 8ths
2 large juicy figs, carefully cut into 8ths
2Tbsp ground almonds
2Tbsp ground pistachios
2Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 shortcrust, poked and precooked 5 minutes
Directions
1.  Mix the ground pistachios, almonds, and brown sugar together.  This is your sand.
2.  Cover the bottom of you shortcrust with the sand.  Keep about 1 Tbsp of it for the topping.
3.  Lay your apricot 8ths into the sand, making sure you keep them nice and snuggled together.  I had them side spoon eachbother to the right on one round, then to the left on the other round.  Lay your fig 8ths in the center, following the same logic as for the apricots.
 4.  Sprinkle the rest of the sand over the top.
5.  Bake at 210°C 410°F for 15 minutes, then lower the temp to 180°C 350°F and bake for another 35-40 minutes.
Let cool to room temperature before eating.

As you may have just realized, this is quite simple, but it's grade A material.
That pie is perfect in so many ways (as is the ginger laced crust).  The idea came naturally, the flavors combined well, the juiced from the fruit were soaked up by the sand, it wasn't too sweet, the fruit still had flavor, and it didn't need any whipped cream or any sort of adornment at all.
I'll definitely be making similar things in the future.. but lets not make any projections just yet..

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