Apple Pate de Fruit, Hazelnuts and Brown Butter

A few varieties of Washington apples are starting to show up in our store, but I really wish I could visit an apple orchard and pick them myself. C’s uncle lives in Wenatchee, Washington where they have beautiful apple and pear orchards that I am dying to visit once again. Last time we flew out to see them, we had such a lovely time that I think it’s time for us to plan a trip soon.

I made some green apple pate de fruit this week to give away as favors but also as filling for hazelnut brown butter cakes. I wish I could describe to you the smell that filled my house after making the brown butter. It is heaven and speaks of autumn.

The brown butter cakes are essentially financiers. I baked some of them with a little bit of the pate de fruit on top. The small apples I used are crab apples in sugar syrup that I brought back from home last time. I am anxious to see what I will this time when I go home. Shopping for food is always on the top of my list of things to do when I go home.

Green Apple Pate de Fruit

560 grams gree apple puree
225 grams unsweetened apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
22 grams yellow pectin
720 grams sugar
112 grams sugar
170 grams glucose
16 grams tartaric acid solution (or lemon juice)
15 grams calvados

Mix the pectin and 720 grams of sugar in a bowl. Make sure the pectin is well mixed with the sugar. Pass through a sieve if necessary. We don’t want clumps of pectin in the pate de fruit.

In a large pot, warm the apple puree, apple juice and the cinnamon stick. When it reaches 42C or a bit warmer than body temperature, add the pectin and the 720 grams of sugar. Bring this to a boil and add the sugar and glucose. Cook this mixture to 106C. Turn the heat off and add the tartaric acid and the calvados. Remove the cinnamon carefully. Pour into a half a sheetpan and let it set for a couple of hours undisturbed so it sets properly. I also poured some pate de fruit into flower shaped and half sphere silicon flexipans. Cut into desired shapes and roll in sugar before serving.

Hazelnut Brown Butter Cakes

120 grams egg whites
125 grams sugar
55 grams flour
25 grams almond flour, toasted
30 grams hazelnut flour, toasted
150 grams brown butter

Toast the almond and hazelnut flours at 325F for about 7 minutes. Let it cool. In the meantime, brown the butter in a medium saucepan. When it starts to turn brown and smells nutty, remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve. Let this cool also.

Mix the egg whites with the sugar. Fold in the flour and toasted nut flours. Whisk. Slowly add the cooled brown butter while whisking. Let this batter sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Pipe the batter into molds and place a small square of apple pate de fruit on top. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

For the financiers with the crab apple on top, pipe the batter into the gold cups and bake for 7 minutes, then place a crab apple on top and bake for another 7 minutes or until golden brown.