Old-fashioned apple and rhubarb pie

Combine apple, caster sugar, water and one half of the vanilla bean in a large saucepan. Cover with lid and bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Simmer about 10 minutes or until apple is tender.

Stir in rhubarb. Cover and simmer about 3 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Drain well. Transfer apple and rhubarb mixture to a medium bowl; stir in juice. Cool.

Scrape seeds from remaining half of vanilla bean into a small bowl. Process flour, ground almonds, icing sugar and butter until crumbly. Add egg yolks, vanilla seeds and enough of the iced water, processing until ingredients just come together. Knead on a floured surface until smooth. Enclose pastry with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Roll two thirds of the pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line a deep 24cm pie dish. Lift pastry into dish and press into base and side. Trim the edge, then pinch pastry. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Line pastry with baking paper and fill with dried beans or rice. Bake 15 minutes. Remove paper and beans; bake a further 15 minutes or until browned. Cool.

Spoon apple and rhubarb mixture into pastry case. Roll the remaining pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to cover pie dish. Brush edge of pastry case with egg. Place pastry over pie; trim edge then pinch pastry. Cut out a 2.5cm round from centre of pie. Brush pastry with egg; sprinkle with white sugar.

Bake pie about 35 minutes or until browned. Stand apple and rhubarb pie 10 minutes before serving.