Apple pie is the iconic fall dessert and it’s a hit with just about any crowd. In this Marzipan Apple Pie we’re taking the flavor of sliced apples, spiced with cozy flavors, to new heights of deliciousness. Marzipan is a wonderful sweetened almond paste used to make candies. But, it also adds a creamy, nutty, sweet taste that enhances the flavor of the apple filling. It’s an even yummier way to enjoy apple pie.
For this recipe you’ll need a good amount of ground cloves and cinnamon. This little bit of extra spice is a counter to the sweetness the marzipan brings.
For this recipe you can use whichever apples you like best. I used a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples for this pie. We’re letting the spices sit on the apple slices for 30 minutes to really bring out the flavors, sort of like marinating meat before cooking it.
I started out with the best of intentions to cut up the marzipan into uniform pieces, but in the end I had make do by pinching pieces off the cutting board. To avoid this you can chill the marzipan to make it firmer for cutting.
The marzipan pieces will melt into the filling during baking so as long as they’re roughly the same size you’ll get a little taste of almond in every bite. If for some reason you can’t find marzipan you can use almond paste instead.
For the top crust I used some mini cutters for pie decorating to make vents and also add to the design. I took the scraps and cut a few extra diamond shapes to make it a bit more festive-looking.
Some egg mixed with cream makes up the wash, but you can also do this with just cream as well.
A package of pre-made pie crusts will work for this recipe, but you can make them from scratch for a richer flavor if you prefer. You can get a classic pie crust recipe right here.
This pie came out so perfectly golden on top with a stunning flavor. The only thing I would change for next time could be to use a pan with a wider edge to get a better seal between the top and bottom crusts.
This Marzipan Apple Pie is a fun and festive take on the classic that will have people oohing and ahhing with every forkful!
Marzipan Apple Pie
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 pie crusts
- 6-7 large apples (3 lbs) Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 7 oz marzipan cut into small cubes
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon cream
Preparation
- Roll out first dough and fit it to 9" pie pan. Place in refrigerator.
- In a large mixing bowl mix together apple slices, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt, tossing until evenly coated. Allow the mixture to sit together for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drain apples and pour liquid into a small saucepan. Simmer over medium low heat until reduced by half. Cool for 10 minutes then toss with apples and tapioca. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Add 1/3 of apple mixture to pie pan then top with some marzipan. Repeat in layers until all apples and marzipan have been used. Roll top crust on top and cut slits in top. Or use mini cookie cutters to cut shapes for the steam before unrolling onto pie filling. Moisten edges with water and press down. Trim edges and crimp by hand or with fork.
- Whisk together egg and cream. Brush egg mixture on top. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cover with foil after 30 minutes, rotating pan for even doneness.
- Allow to cool before serving.
Recipe adapted from Love and Olive Oil.