Vegan MoFo - Ruby Rose's Macarena Muffin Pie

This summer, I went PPKamping in Dorset with MessyVeggie, holylopez, baps, hana, and jojo.  We met up with Ruby Rose at Monkey World (!), and naturally the conversation turned to odd foods.  It turns out that Ruby Rose (aka Amy) had a dream about making a pie with a shortcrust base, apple filling, and cinnamon muffin topping.  She then sold it at a bake sale while doing the Macarena.  I think that was how the dream went.

Well, as soon as she said this, I thought, I must make that pie.  Then someone else mentioned using Lotus biscuits (out of which Speculoos spread is made) to make a cookie crust (completely unrelated to the previously mentioned pie).  My thoughts then turned to, I must make that pie with Speculoos crust!

I finally got around to making it today.  One thing I have to say - I forgot just how much I dislike making apple pie.  The coring, the peeling, the slicing - it takes SO. LONG.  But I soldiered on for the good of humanity (or so I assumed). 

The crust recipe is a variation on this cookie crust.  The apple filling is a variation on the filling for the Gingerbread Apple Pie in Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz*.  And the muffin top is my own cinnamon muffin recipe (minus the chocolate chips).  I now give you...

Macarena Muffin Pie

Crust:

• about 20 Lotus/Biscoff biscuits
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 6 tbsp margarine, melted

Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.

Crush the biscuits into small pieces (or whiz them in a food processor).  Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined.  Press into a pie plate and bake for 5-7 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool as you make the other elements of the pie, but leave the oven on.

Apple Filling:

• 1 pound apples (I used Pink Lady), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tbsp arrowroot

Combine everything but the arrowroot in a large bowl.  Sprinkle the arrowroot over the mixture and stir until the starch is dissolved.

Assemble:

Have ready one recipe of cinnamon muffins without chocolate chips.  Pour the apple mixture into the prepared crust, then top with the muffin batter**.  Smooth the batter over the apples so that they're completely covered.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the muffin top is brown and slightly cracked and a toothpick inserted in the middle (but not too far down!) comes out clean.

The Verdict - OMG it's so good!  I have to say, though, that the crust as written isn't perfect.  It doesn't actually stay together, so it's more like one of those cakes with a pudding bottom.  Still, it's freaking delicious.  And I'm glad I left the 1/4 c of maple syrup out of the apple filling because it would've been way too much sugar, as it's a bit of sugar overload as is.  In fact, I forgot to take pictures of the first piece and had to have a second, and I think I might go into a diabetic coma soon.  I might try it again with the shortcrust (or shortbread crust, which was another variation I thought of trying before the mention of Speculoos crust).  I might also just put cinnamon in the apple filling as it felt a little overwhelmed with spices.



And in case you didn't notice, I got a new camera.  Naturally, the first photos I post from it are brown and messy.  Awesome.


*Many thanks to Isa for letting me print my variation.
**You won't use all the batter, so throw some chocolate chips into the remainder and bake in muffin cups after you've baked this.