APPle Tart

Ingredients
For the Shortcrust Pastry
2 cup – Wheat flour
1 cup – Cold butter cubes
1 tbsp – Icing sugar
1/2 tsp – Salt
2 to 4 tbsp – Cold water

For the compote (Filling)
3 nos – Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
2 tbsp- Sugar
¼ cup – Apple juice ( i used Appy)
¼ cup – Water
1/8 tsp – Cinnamon powder
1/8 tsp – Nutmeg powder
zest of 1 lemon

For the topping
2nos – Washington apples, cored and sliced 1/8 “ thin
A fistful of – Brown Sugar
2 tbsp – apricot jam ( apple jam or any jam of your choice will do too)
Juice of ½ a lemon

Method
For the tart shell
Take flour, salt, sugar in a mixie, add the butter cubes and pulse it bit by bit till the whole mixture resembles bread crumbs. Transfer these crumbs into a mixing bowl, add bit by bit ice cold water and bring the dough together and make a ball.

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Place this dough inbetween two layers of clingfilm sheets and roll it into a circle, a little bigger than the tart pan. Keep the thickness to 5mm.

Carefully place the rolled dough over the tart pan and press it well. Using a knife trimm the extra dough hanging out of the pan.

Line the tart with clingfilm and fill the pan with baking beans ( you can use uncooked Rajma or rice too ) and bake it for 8 mins (this method of filly the tart with beans and baking it first before you fill it is known as Blind Baking). Remove the beans and bake it further for an other 5mins. Remove and let it cool. You can make tart shells in advance.


Meanwhile, place apple chunks, apple juice, water, cinnamon and lemon zest in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Cover and bring to a boil and let cook for 10 mins.

Simmer uncovered until most of the liquid is evaporated. Mash apples into with a fork into a coarse paste. Allow to cool completely, it will thicken as it cools.

Peel, core and thinly slice, about 1/8 “ thick. Place in bowl and squeeze lemon juice to prevent browning.

Spread a single layer of cooled compote in the tart shell.

Lets start assembling the top layer of apple slices.When placing the apples the idea is to create swirl pattern. Starting from the outside and working your way into the center. Layer each apple, cut side down, peel on top. one slightly overlapping the other, making your way all around the tart until you reach the center. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the apple arrangement.

Bake at 200°C for 25 minutes or until the apples turn golden brown.

Place the jam in the microwave and heat on high for 15 secs or until melted. Brush tart with jam to create a nice shine.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or a generous serving of Brandy Butter Sauce