The free form makes it so quickly to put together and although the pastry is made from scratch, it’s straight forward and delicious.
You can change the toppings depending on the season so this is an all-year round recipe.
My favourite flavours: rhubarb/strawberry, apricot, pear/feijoa, Doris plum and berries. Serve it with ice cream or cream. I love @lewisroadcreamery vanilla flavour and pretty much all @duckislandicecream flavours 🍁🍂
INGREDIENTS: For the shortcrust:
200 gr white spelt flour
50 gr rye flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp raw sugar
120 gr unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
Method:
Put the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the chilled cubed butter and blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 2-3 tablespoons of cold water and blitz again, the dough will look more cohesive and not crumbly. Bring the dough together with your hands until it is in a smooth ball. If its is still crumbly, add a few drops of water at a time, being careful not to overdo it. Flatten the dough out into a disc, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until chilled but still pliable.
Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper to circle of approx 20 cm diameter and 5 mm thick. Cover and chill for 15 minutes or 5 minutes in the freezer.
FOR THE APPLE FILLING :
4 large baking apples
⅓ cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tbsp spelt flour
Method:
Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/2 cm thick slices and place in a large bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cooled melted butter, flour and salt; toss to combine.
FOR ASSEMBLING & BAKING
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Method:
Take the dough from the fridge and place it over a baking sheet with the bottom baking paper. Arrange the apple slices on top of the pastry in overlapping concentric circles to within 10 cm of the edge. Don’t worry about making it look perfect!. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples in a free-form fashion, working your way around and creating pleats as you go. Patch up any tears by pinching a bit of dough from the edge.
Using a pastry brush, brush the pleated dough evenly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the turbinado sugar over the top crust and 1 tablespoon over the fruit. Chill the assembled tart in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C and set an oven rack in the center position.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden and cooked through.
Cool down for 10 min and serve warm with ice cream or cream.