Cox Apples...

It's back to work for me today which means I probably won't see much daylight until Saturday. I don't mind winter but I do start to miss daylight a bit, one the 'perks' of working in an area that doesn't have many windows in.

So I decided I'd do something with the Cox Apples on Monday and fancied some sort of apple tart or pudding and found this recipe. I've changed a few things as it had some bits I didn't like or that I didn't have in the cupboard but I think it still worked pretty well.

I also discovered when I'd already started making it that I don't actually have a baking sheet! I'd been looking at them in poundland earlier that day to and it still didn't click! I ended up improvising and used my gill pan/tray thing from my oven turned upside down. It seemed to work but I think I might have to ask santa if he could bring me one for Christmas, oh and a pastry brush too as I don't have one of those either!

Ingredients:

500g Block Puff Pastry

6-8 Cox Apples (or any eating apples) - Peeled, Cored, Halved - Sliced into 2mm slices.

20g Unsalted Butter

3tbsp Caster Sugar

3tbsp Apricot Jam

Splash of Water

For Almond Cream

60g Unsalted Butter - Softened

100g Ground Almonds

75g Icing Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract

1tsp Almond Flavoring or 2 drops Pure Almond Extract

1 Egg

1tsp Cornflour

Equipment:

Mixer - Stand or Electric Hand Mixer.

Baking Sheet

Baking Paper

Rolling Pin

Pastry Brush

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6.

Almond Cream:

1. Cream together the butter and icing sugar with the vanilla and almond extract until pale and fluffy. 
2. Add the ground almonds, cornflour and egg and mix well. Keep to one side.

Tart:

1. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 32cm round and as thick as a £1 coin.
2. Put baking paper on the baking sheet and then place the pastry on top. 
3. Draw a line all the way around the pastry 1cm from the edge with a knife.
4. With a fork, prick the pastry inside the circle and spread the almond cream over the top.
5. Starting from the outside and, place the sliced apples on top so they are overlapping each other. Once the first round is complete, start on the next round, overlapping the previous round. Continue doing this until the tart is completely covered. 
6. Melt the butter in a pan until foaming then add the sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and remove for the heat and brush over the apples.
7. Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the apples starting to colour around the edge. Check the bottom of the pastry is cooked, if not return to the oven for a  few minutes longer. 
8. Gently heat the jam with the water in a saucepan until melted down. Sieve it and brush over the tart.
9. Enjoy!

Tips:

*To stop the apples going brown once sliced, add them to a bowl of water with a few drops of lemon juice in. Dry then with a clean tea towel before placing on the tart.

*If you have any puff pastry leftover, pile the pieces on top of each other and roll them out until they're about the same thickness as the tart base was, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, rollover once more and then cut into strips or little squares, bake for about 8 minutes and you have yourself some lovely little 'biscuits'. 

Let me know if you give this one ago :)

Em x