Apple Frangipane with caramelised apple

 

You will need a 30cm flan dish with a loose bottom 

INGREDIENTS

Pastry

• 250g or 8 3/4 oz of plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 125 g or 4 1/2 oz of unsalted butter, cold
• 50g 1 3/4 oz of icing sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp water

Apple and Prune Jam

Apple and Prune jam

• 350g peeled and chopped apples (crab preverably but cox or any from garden!)
• 13 dried prunescoarsely chopped
• 8 tbsp of Armagnac

Frangipane filling

• 500g ground almonds  
• 500g unsalted butter 
• 500 g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• flaked almonds for topping

• Caramelised apples

  • 6 apples, Jonagold, Discovery or Cox's apples
  • 3 1/2 oz of caster sugar
  • 2 lemons, juice on

  • To serve

    • Jersey cream
    • icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1

The night before serving, prepare the pastry and jam. Place the butter, flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and blitz to form a fine crumb. Add the water and egg yolks and blitz again to bring the mixture together into a ball

2

Tip the pastry out onto a board or clean, floured surface and knead lightly. Bring the pastry together into a ball and wrap in clingfilm, placing in the fridge to rest overnight

3

For the jam, pound the medlars through a conical sieve into a large bowl and add the chopped prunes. Stir through the Armagnac and mix until well combined, then pour the jam into a large sterilised jar. Seal and set aside until required

4

The next day, prepare the frangipane filling. Using a food processor or grinder, grind the almonds to a coarse crumb. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar and add the eggs one at a time. Beat in the almonds, stir well to combine and set aside in the fridge to rest

5

Preheat the oven to 180 or 160°C

6

Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out into a large, even layer. Carefully line the tart case with the pastry, leaving a little overlap around the edges. Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Place on pre-heated baking sheet and blind bake for 15 mins then remove beans or rice and cooke for a further 5 mins 

7

Spread a generous layer of jam across the pastry and pour over the frangipane until 4/5ths full and scatter with flaked almonds. Place in the oven and bake for 45 mins, the turn oven don to 130 degrees c and cook for a further 15 mins.

8

Meanwhile, prepare the caramelised apples. Peel and slice each apple into 6 even pieces and set aside.

9

Place a medium pan over a moderate heat and add the sugar. Heat to form a caramel, carefully adding the lemon juice and apples to the pan. Cook until the apples are soft and golden, and the caramel is thick and glossy. Set aside and leave to cool until ready to serve

10

Once tart is cooked through, remove from the oven and leave to cool a little, trimming any excess pastry from the edges

11

Once cool. Using a sharp knife, slice the tart into even pieces and divide between plates. Top with a generous spoonful of Jersey cream and arrange pieces of apple to one side. Sprinkle all over with a light dusting of icing sugar