I never wake up and think, “I would love an Apple Tart today”… However, I admit that every time I bake one and have a slice served warm with either whipped cream or rich vanilla ice-cream I wonder why I don’t make them more often!
This time of year, when we have so many apples from our little orchard, it is one dessert which I always turn to in an effort to use up the glut. I don’t like to see any go to waste on the ground either and these are the first ones I pick (hence the ‘Windfall’ in the title) The thing is though, most apple tarts only use about 3 large apples which really is a drop in the ocean of the number I currently have hanging around my kitchen 🙂
The most difficult part of this recipe is making the pastry but once you have managed to perfect your pastry making skills then you can easily have your tart baked and on the table in less than an hour!
I have been using the same recipe for years and I promise you this is a ‘never fail’ one!! I hear so many people say they can’t make pastry but it really is so easy and I would encourage you to give it a go before rushing out to buy the shop bought version. I always make mine in my food processor but if you don’t have one, then just follow the same method by hand.
My Mam makes her apple tarts on a dinner plate but I use a 25cm Tart Tin. You can use a plate too so long as its oven proof…
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
200g Plain Flour
100g Chilled Butter, Cubed
1 Tablspn Icing Sugar
1 Medium Egg, Beaten
1 Tablspn Cold Water
Method:
- Place the flour, butter and sugar in your food processor and whiz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add in the beaten egg and mix for a few seconds on the pulse setting.
- Pour in the water and mix on a low speed until the pastry comes together in a ball.
- Remove it and then wrap in cling film. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
Apple Filling
700g Bramley Apples (approx 3 large apples)
150g Caster Sugar
4 – 5 Whole Cloves (Optional)
Ground Cinammon (Optional)
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF), Gas Mark 4.
- Peel your apples and cut into thick chunks being careful not to include any of the core (peel the apples just as you are ready to make your tart as they will start to go brown quite quickly)
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and cut in half.
- Roll one half out on a lightly floured surface until it it just slightly bigger than the size of your tin or plate.
- Spread the apples onto the pastry and gently sprinkle all of the sugar over the top of the fruit (it will look like a lot but believe me you will need it to sweeten the tart Bramleys!)
- If using the cloves then stick them in randomly to the apples around the tart (I highly recommend using the cloves and sometimes I even mix approx ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon with the sugar before sprinkling over the apples – its delicious!!)
- Roll out your remaining piece of pastry, again until it is bigger than the size of the tin or plate you are using.
- Using a pastry brush and some milk, brush the bottom rim of pastry before putting the top on to seal the edges. Using the back of a knife, trim off the excess pastry and then either using your thumb or a fork, you can crimp around the edges (just to make it look pretty) 🙂
- Gather up the pastry which you cut away while trimming the tart to make a little decoration for the top and brush the back of these pieces with milk before setting them in place. This step is not necessary but I think the tart looks better with a little decoration.
- Finally, lightly brush the entire top of the tart with milk and sprinkle over 1 – 2 teaspoons of caster sugar which will give a nice crunchy and golden top when cooked
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