Shortcrust pastry
-APPLE PUREE-
2 Bramley apples
1 tb Water
1 1/2 ts Caster sugar
1 Twist lemon zest
1 tb Calvados
APPLE TOPPING
4 Cox’s orange pippin apples
175 g Fresh blueberries
45 g Butter
1 ts Caster sugar
1 tb Water
-PASTRY CREAM-
2 Egg yolks
300 ml Single cream
1 tb Plain flour
1/3 ts Cornflour
1 tb Caster sugar
1/2 Split vanilla pod
Line 4 individual fluted tart tins with shortcrust pastry, bake blind
and cool.
Apple puree; peel core and slice the bramley apples. Stew gently
together in a heavy based pan with the water, sugar and zest until
the apples fall to a froth./ Cook to drive off any excess liquid
until a thickish puree is formed. Stir in the Calvados and check
amount of sugar. The puree should be fairly tart to counteract the
sweetness of the pastry cream.
Pastry cream; split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the
cream. Add the pod as well. Bring the cream to the boil. Blend yolks,
flour, cornflour and sugar together. Gradually whisk cream onto
blended yolks. Return to rinsed pan and cook gently, stirring all the
while until the mixture has thickened and the flour is cooked out.
Top the surface with buttered greaseproof paper or clingfilm to
prevent a skin forming.
Apple topping; peel, core and thinly slice the Cox’s orange pippins.
Heat the water, sugar and butter until dissolved. Bring to the boil.
Add apple slices and cook gently for 2-3 minutes to soften and coat
with the buttery syrup. Fill the bases of the tarts with pastry
cream. Add a tablespoonful of Calvados apple puree. Scatter with half
the blueberries. Top the filling with overlapping apple slices and
the remainder of the blueberries. Dredge with icing sugar. Bake in a
hot oven, 220C, for 7-8 minutes until the edges of the apple have
taken on a deep golden caramel colour. Top with a tiny bay leaf and
dredge gently with sieved icing sugar again.
Yields
1 servings