Apricot Almond Pie

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup blanched almonds
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons water
• For the filling:
• 1 cup almonds, slivered and blanched
• 5 cups apricots, diced
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup almonds, slivered

Directions

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350 degrees F. In a food processor, pulse the flour, almonds, butter, almond extract, and sugar until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add ice water by the tablespoon, 1 at a time, stopping when the dough comes away from the bowl and gathers easily into a ball. Pat the dough into a 1/4-inch disc, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface, then ease it into a pie plate and press it into place. Parbake the crust until it is lightly golden, about 20 minutes.
2. Cover the bottom of the parbaked crust with a thin layer of almonds. In a medium bowl, use a spatula to mix the apricots, sugar, and cornstarch, then scrape the fruit mixture into the crust. In a small bowl, stir together the butter, sugar, flour, and almonds, and let the mixture cool until it firms up. Break the topping over the filling, keeping a 1-inch border around the edge. Bake until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling, about 1 hour. Let the pie cool slightly, then serve.