Ingredients
Serves: 6
Prep/Cook Time: Approx 2 hours
For the filling:
- 1kg cooking apples, peeled and cored
- 120g light brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves, lightly crushed
- Small knob of butter
For the pastry:
- 350g plain flour, sifted
- 225g softened butter
- 50g light brown sugar
- Caster sugar for glazing
- 1 whole egg plus 1 yolk, beaten, keep the white for glazing the tart
Method
For the filling:
- Cut the apples into large wedges and melt the butter in a heavy-based pan.
- Toss the apples in the butter, ground cloves, sugar and about 100mls of water.
- To turn it up a notch you could add the same amount of apple brandy instead of the water. Cook the apples for 3-4 mins until lightly softened, then place in a sieve to drain away excess juices.
For the pastry:
- Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until just mixed.
- Break in a whole egg and a yolk. Beat together for just under 1 min.
- Fold in the flour with a wooden spoon, one third at a time, until it's beginning to come together, then finish gathering it together with your hands.
- Gently work the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film, and chill for approx 30 mins.
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 170C.
- Grease and flour you tart ring or plate. You should aim for 23- 25cm in size for the ring or plate.
- Lightly beat the egg white with a fork.
- Cut off a third of the pastry and keep it wrapped while you roll out the rest, and use this to line the base, leaving a slight overhang.
- Add the apple mix to the dish, at this stage you can remove the cinnamon stick.
- Roll the remaining pastry big enough again to cover the tart.
- Brush a little water around the pastry rim and lay the lid over the apples pressing the edges together to seal.
- Trim the edge with a sharp knife and make a couple of little slashes on top of the lid for the steam to escape.
- Brush it all with the egg white and sprinkle with a little caster sugar.
- Bake for approx 40-45 mins, until golden, then remove and let it sit for 5-10 mins.
- Sprinkle with a little more caster sugar and serve while still warm from the oven with warmed custard and if you're feeling extra generous some vanilla ice cream.
