This tart can be as easy or as complicated to make as you want it to be. If you can get your hands on good shop-bought pastry you can get it into the oven in a matter of minutes, ready to be enjoyed warm with cream or custard for pudding, or at room temperature for goûter (a sweet snack) late afternoon. Or you can spend a quiet hour in the kitchen making pastry from scratch. It’s a rustic tart, no need for any precision or perfection. I always tend to over-fill mine with frangipane and it oozes all over the sides – most people will forgive this for an extra bit of almondy-goo under their apples.
Serves 6
ingredients
For the pastry (makes enough for two tarts, you can happily freeze the second half for future baking)
375g plain flour
Pinch of Salt
2 tsp sugar
225g cold butter, cut into cubes
240ml very cold water
60g cider vinegar
OR
1 packet of shop bought shortcrust pastry (also works well with puff pastry)
For the frangipane
100g ground almonds
100g caster suger
100g butter, room temperature
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the apples
4-6 apples – a firm, tart eating apple is best
1 beaten egg – for egg wash
Demerara sugar for sprinkling
A handful of flaked almonds (optional)
Method
Add the flour, salt and sugar to a large bowl and cut the butter into cubes. Working quickly, rub the butter into the flour with your finger tips until you have a very rough breadcrumb texture with pea-sized lumps of butter.
Combine the water and cider vinegar (which helps to keep the pastry crisp and flaky) and sprinkle a few tablespoons of this mixture into the flour and butter. Mix briefly with a knife to begin to bring the dough together. Gradually add more of the water, mixing all the time until you have a dough that holds together but isn’t too wet. You should just be able to pull it together with your hands into a ball, bringing most of the mixture from the sides of the bowl with it. Shape into a rough rectangle, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
To make the frangipane, cream together the butter, sugar and ground almonds with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth paste. Add the egg, almond and vanilla extracts and stir to combine thoroughly.
Pre-heat your oven to 190c/375f
Once chilled cut your pastry block in half, wrapping up the second half to use another time. On a floured surface roll out your pastry into a large rectangle. You want the pastry to be about 3-4mm thick. Transfer to a lined baking sheet.
Spread the centre of the pastry with the frangipane, leaving a 5cm/2in border around the edge of the pastry. You may not need all of the frangipane. If you have leftovers you can use it to make Almond croissants or freeze it for another time.
Core and thinly slice your apples, I don’t peel mine. Arrange the slice on top of the frangipane. Brush the pastry border with beaten egg and then fold the edges in towards the middle to contain the apples and the filling. Brush the corners with extra egg to help them stick. Chill for 30 minutes, then brush the pastry edges with egg wash again, sprinkle everything with Demerara sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden. Halfway through the cooking scatter over some flaked almonds for extra crunch.
Your pastry might puff up in the oven and seemed to have formed a bubble underneath, if it does just pierce the bump with a knife to deflate it. Allow to cool slightly before serving, it’s also lovely at room temperature.
