Super Apple and Almond Tart from Brendan Lynch

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Gather the ingredients.

2. Step 2

   Mix flour, salt, and caster sugar together in a medium-sized bowl.

3. Step 3

   Rub butter into flour to resemble fine breadcrumbs.

4. Step 4

   Add egg and just enough milk to form soft/firm dough.

5. Step 5

   Knead for a minute, shape into ball and put on plate and cover with Clingfilm and let rest for 20 minutes in fridge.

6. Step 6

   Grease a 9-inch fluted or un-fluted tart tin.

7. Step 7

   Roll out pastry to 1/4-inch thickness.

8. Step 8

   Transfer to tin and press the pastry into sides with a small ball of dough. Leave about a 1 inch overhang of pastry and cut the rest away with a scissors.

9. Step 9

   Line pastry with non-stick parchment paper so that it projects beyond the pastry. Fill to near top with rice or beans ensuring that the sides are supported by the dry material. Let stand for 20 minutes in fridge. This recovery period will reduce pastry shrinkage during baking.

10. Step 10

    Preheat oven to 355F or 180 C for 15 minutes. Have an egg white that is lightly beaten ready to seal pastry before second bake.

11. Step 11

    Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes.

12. Step 12

    Remove from oven and using the parchment to help you, lift the dry contents away from the pastry shell. Prick the base all over with a fork to reduce puffing up. Brush the pastry shell with the egg white.

13. Step 13

    Return to oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. You are partially baking the shell which will complete its baking with the almond cream and apples.

14. Step 14

    Remove from oven and let cool on rack.

15. Step 15

    Peel and quarter the apples and remove core with seeds. Slice the quarters thinly.

16. Step 16

    Put the butter and sugar in a bowl, and using a hand-held whisk or a food processor, combine until the mixture is smooth, light and satiny. 

17. Step 17

    Add the ground almonds and continue to process until well blended.

18. Step 18

    Add the flour and cornflour, whisk again, and then add the egg. Whisk for about 15 seconds more, or until the almond cream is homogeneous. 

19. Step 19

    Add the rum or vanilla and whisk just to blend.

20. Step 20

    Spread mixture over pastry case base and smooth with a small spatula. Or use French custard – crème pâtissière .

21. Step 21

    Starting with the outside circle, place overlapping slices of apple all the way round the shell covering the almond cream beneath.

22. Step 22

    Do the same with the second inner circle. 

23. Step 23

    The final inner circle can be completed in this way. Or alternatively, stand each apple slice at a 35 degree angle to form a ‘flower-type’ pattern in the middle.

24. Step 24

    Sprinkle the slices with 85 grams caster sugar.

25. Step 25

    Bake in preheated as before for 20 to 25 minutes till apples are soft.

26. Step 26

    Make the apricot glaze by gently heating the apricot preserve and water until dissolved.

27. Step 27

    Then push through sieve to remove fruit pieces.

28. Step 28

    Remove from oven and brush apples slices with the warm glaze.

29. Step 29

    Allow to cool and set.