Source: How to cook the perfect French apple tart – recipe
French Apple Tart
Servings 8 people
Ingredients
Pastry
- 250 g plain flour
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 125 g butter diced
- 1 egg beaten
Frangipane
- 60 g butter soft
- 60 g icing sugar sifted
- 2 drops almond essence
- 1 egg beaten
- 115 g ground almonds
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 3 tbsp rum
Filling
- 750 g apples preferably dryish ones such as cox’s
- 25 g butter
- 1 vanilla pod
- 3 tbsp apricot jam to glaze
Instructions
- Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and whizz briefly with the butter, then add the egg and just enough cold water (one to two tablespoons) to bring it together into a dough. Alternatively, rub the butter in by hand, then stir in the egg and water. Form into a disc, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, core and peel 400g of the apples and cut into chunks. Put in a pan with the butter, 75ml water and the vanilla pod, if using, and cook over a low heat until very soft, adding more water if necessary. Puree with a stick blender or mash well, and leave to cool.
- Grease a 25cm, fairly deep tart tin. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm, and line the tin with it, pressing it in without stretching it and leaving some overhang. Prick in several places with a fork, and put in the fridge to chill.
- To make the frangipane, beat together the butter, icing sugar and almond essence until fluffy, then whisk in the egg. Fold in the remaining ingredients and a pinch of salt, and mix until well combined.
- If you’re feeling fussy, peel the remaining apples, but you really don’t have to, then core them, cut in half and slice to about 3-4mm thick.
- Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas 6. Spread the pastry base with the apple puree and top with the frangipane mixture. Finally, top with the apple slices in two concentric overlapping circles, with a few in the middle, then bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Heat the jam over a low heat until runny, then carefully brush the apples until glossy.
1 Comment