Apple Tart

Autumn is apple season in Scotland, and a tart is one of the nicest ways to use them. We like using a mix of red and green apples for colour. Thin slices are fanned in a spiral over soft apple compote, and an apricot glaze gives it the shine.

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 200g plain flour
• 100g cold butter – cubed
• 25g caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2–3 tbsp cold water

For the filling

• 6 apples – a mix of red and green eating apples
• 25g butter
• 50g caster sugar
• Juice of ½ lemon

For the glaze

• 3 tbsp apricot jam
• 1 tbsp water

Method

1. Rub the flour and butter together with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
2. Add the egg yolk and enough cold water to bring it together into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Roll the pastry out and line a 25cm tart tin. Don’t worry about a neat edge, as a rustic one looks lovely. Chill while you make the filling.
4. Peel, core and chop 3 of the apples. Cook them gently with the butter and sugar for 10–15 minutes, until soft. Mash into a rough compote and leave to cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan).
6. Quarter and core the remaining 3 apples, leaving the skin on. Slice them thinly and toss with the lemon juice so they don’t brown.
7. Spread the cooled compote over the pastry base.
8. Starting at the outside, overlap the apple slices in rings working towards the centre, so they spiral like the petals of a flower. Mix the red and green slices as you go.
9. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the apples are just tender.
10. Warm the apricot jam with the water and brush it over the tart while it’s still warm.
11. Serve warm with cream or custard, or cold with a cup of tea. It looks lovely on a large ANTA serving plate.