Apple Tart

By: Pete on 08:13:00

The latter half of this week turned into a bit of a "leftovers" baking session. When I'd made the bakewell tart earlier in the week, I'd had enough leftover pastry to line a 20cm tin. After having that sit in the fridge for a couple of days, I decided to have a go at an apple tart, something I'd never done before.

I did a bit of reading, which is probably lucky, otherwise I'd have bought some cooking apples, which are apparently good if you want a very soft, gooey tart filling, but for something with structure and shape you want eating apples. I also had to find an apple corer (I was looking for a simple one, however it seems lots of places these days sell spring-loaded, super expensive things!)

The actual baking as pretty quick...it was also the first tart I've done that wasn't blind-baked, and I had read somewhere that a trick to deal with this while avoiding the "soggy bottom" is to place a baking tray on the shelf you want to use when the oven is pre-heating, and this cooks the bottom of the tart quicker with the stored heat.

The final tart was quite nice, however the custard was a bit lacking in flavour...I had done too much apple, so panned to do it a second time with some additions (watch this space!!)

Apple Tart - Recipe

Pastry

I used the same recipe as the bakewell tart from earlier this week, rolled to 3mm, and lining a 20cm tart tin, and then with the base pricked with a fork. Note it was not blind-baked.

• Pre-heat oven to 220'C
• place a baking tray in the oven on the shelf you are going to use

Filling Ingredients

• 3 Braeburn apples
• 15g butter
• ½tsp lemon juice
• 15g caster sugar

1) Place the butter, juice and sugar in a small pan over a low heat and stir

2) Once the butter has melted, ans the sugar dissolved, take off the heat and put to one side

3) Core and slice the apples into 16 pieces per apple

4) Arrange the apple slices in the tart tin in a circle (I did 2 layers)

5) As you put them in, brush each apple slice with the butter and sugar mixture

6) Bake in the oven for 10 minutes

7) Reduce the temperature to 200'C, and bake for a further 20 minutes. The apples should start to caramelise. While this is happening, you can make the custard

Custard Ingredients

• 100ml double cream
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1tbsp caster sugar (to sprinkle)

1) Place the cream, caster sugar and egg in a jug

2) Whisk until smooth and creamy

3) After the tart has done the 20-minute bake at 200'C, sprinkle the caster sugar over the top of the apples

4) Pour the custard into the tart tin (be a bit careful, there will be some juices in the case)

5) bake for 10 more minutes, until the custard has just set

6) Remove to a wire rack to cool.