Apple Custard Tart Recipe

Ingredients

• 200 g plain white flour (all purpose flour) (sieved)
• 15 g icing sugar (powdered sugar) ( sieved)
• 100 g salted butter (cold and cubed)
• 2-3 tbsp cold water
• 600 g green apples (peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 45 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 2 medium free range eggs
• 40 g plain white flour (all purpose flour)
• 60 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 265 ml whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 45 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 150 g apricot jam
• 1 tsp water

Instructions

1. 1

   --- To make the pastry ---

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan-assisted, 400F).

3. 3

   Put the flour and icing sugar in a bowl and stir together.

4. 4

   Add the cold, cubed butter and rub together until you have an even, slightly yellow crumb.

5. 5

   Add 2 tbsp of cold water and stir through the crumb with a rounded knife together until it starts to clump together. Squeeze some of the mixture together to see if it forms a dough. If necessary, add up to a further 1 tbsp, drop by drop, until it will come together in a smooth ball.

6. 6

   Press into a round puck, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge while you make the custard.

7. 7

   --- To make the custard ---

8. 8

   Put the eggs, flour, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and mix until smooth and set aside.

9. 9

   Warm the milk in a saucepan to almost boiling, then pour the hot milk into the bowl with the egg mixture, stirring all the time.

10. 10

    Wash out the pan if it has any scalded milk in it, then return the mixture to it.

11. 11

    Heat gently until thick, stirring continuously with a silicon spatula to make sure the bottom of the pan doesn't catch. It should only take a couple of minutes to thicken up. Taste to make sure the flour is cooked out.

12. 12

    Pour into a clean bowl, close cover, meaning the clingfilm is touching the surface of the custard to stop a skin forming. Set aside to cool.

13. 13

    --- Make the pastry case ---

14. 14

    Roll out the pastry so that it is about 8cm (3 inches) wider that your loose-bottomed fluted, non-stick quiche tin.

15. 15

    Lift the pastry into the tin and make sure it's press into the corners all the way around.

16. 16

    Run a rolling pin across the top of the tin - this should perfectly trim the pastry.

17. 17

    Prick all over the base with a fork.

18. 18

    Cover with a sheet of scrunched up baking paper and fill with baking beans, making sure they reach into the corners all the way round.

19. 19

    Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven.

20. 20

    Remove the paper and baking beans and bake for a further 5-8 minutes until the base of the pastry case looks sandy with no grey patches.

21. 21

    Turn the oven down to 180C (160C fan / 350F).

22. 22

    --- Prepare the apples ---

23. 23

    Drain the apples, pat dry with some kitchen towel and place in a bowl with the cinnamon, lemon juice and sugar. Stir together.

24. 24

    --- Assemble the tart ---

25. 25

    Pile the custard into pastry case, spread to the edges and level off.

26. 26

    Arrange the apple wedges in circles in the pastry case. Leave behind any liquid that has released from the apples.

27. 27

    Sprinkle the caster sugar over the top of the apples.

28. 28

    --- Bake ---

29. 29

    Put the tart in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are just starting to brown.

30. 30

    --- To glaze ---

31. 31

    Towards the end of the baking time, make the glaze. You'll need to heat the apricot jam with a teaspoon of water. You can do this either in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, or in a pan on the stove.

32. 32

    Once the glaze is heated and loosened, carefully push it through a sieve to remove any bits.

33. 33

    Once the tart is out of the oven, drizzle the apricot jam all over the apples and use a pastry brush to spread evenly.

34. 34

    Allow the tart to cool in the tin, then serve.