Base & Sides 75 gm (1/2 cup) plain flour 60 gm (1/2 cup) ground almonds 2 tspn caster sugar 30 gm butter, chopped 1 tbsp lemon juice 125 gm marzipan Filling 100 gm dried apple, finely chopped 125 ml Amaretto 500 gm fresh ricotta, drained 75 gm (1/3 cup) caster sugar 1 tbsp plain flour 1/4 tspn ground mixed spice 3 eggs, separated 1/4 cup thick cream Topping 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 small granny smith apple, cored and thinly sliced 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp flaked almonds
Combine flour, sugar and ground almonds in a bowl and, using fingertips, mix in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add lemon juice and mix until dough begins to cling together, adding a little cold water if necessary. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry onto the greased, inverted base of a 18 cm springform pan. Trim edge, prick all over with a fork, then freeze for 5 minutes.
Bake in centre of oven at 200°C for 10-15 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden. Cool. Clip lightly-greased springform pan side onto base.
Reduce oven temperature to 150°C.
Roll out marzipan and gently press onto cooled pastry base. Trim edge.
For filling, combine apple and amaretto in a small bowl and stand for at least one hour. Drain and reserve amaretto. Using an electric mixer, beat drained ricotta, sugar, flour and mixed spice until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in cream, dried apple and tablespoon reserved amaretto. Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form and carefully fold into cheese mixture in two batches. Spoon filling over base.
For topping, toss apple with lemon juice, brown sugar and almonds and place on top of filling.
Bake at 150°C for one hour, occasionally brushing top with reserve amaretto. Remove from oven, pour any remaining amaretto over top, and cool completely in pan.
Keeps covered in fridge for two days.