SEASONAL APPLE TART WITH CREME PATISSIERE

 

FABULOUS SEASONAL APPLE TART

 

INGREDIENTS

 

4 eating apples sliced

2 tbsp apricot jam

 

CREME PATISSIERE

6 egg yolks

125g caster sugar

30g cornflour

550ml milk

1 vanilla pod split

15g butter

 

Whisk the egg yolks and then add half the sugar and whisk till pale and creamy, sift in the cornflour and mix together.  Add the milk, remaining sugar and split vanilla pod and seeds into a saucepan and bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve the sugar, then strain.  Pour the hot strained milk over the egg yolks stirring fast and constantly, add back to the saucepan and simmer for a couple of minutes stirring all the time, the mix will become smooth and thick, stir in the butter at this stage and leave to cool in a fresh bowl.  Cover the top of the bowl with clingfilm, this is to stop a skin forming. 

 

SWEET PASTRY

350g plain flour

pinch of salt

150g unsalted butter chilled diced

100g icing sugar

2 eggs beaten

 

Sift the flour and salt on to your work top, pull up into a mound, make a well in the centre and put the butter there, using a pecking action with your fingertips and thumb work the butter only until it is soft, add the sugar into the butter and mix together, now add the eggs to the butter and mix well, now start to incorporate the flour by knocking it into the butter mixture gradually using a chopping action until you have a rough dough.  Bring together and knead a couple of times to make the dough smooth, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

 

Roll out the pastry and line your tin and then place the tin in the fridge for a further 10 minutes.  Blind bake the pastry case with baking beans for 10 minutes at 190 degrees, then remove the baking paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes.

 

Place the creme patissiere in the bottom of the pastry case and place the sliced apples in ever decreasing circles on top, bake in the oven for approx 20 minutes or until the apples are golden and the pastry is cooked.  Melt the apricot jam and pass through a sieve then brush over the apples to give a sweet shine.