Shortcrust Pastry Apple Tart Recipes

EASY FRENCH APPLE TART

Steps:

• Cream the soft Butter and Powdered Sugar in the bowl of your mixer for about 2 to 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Mix in the Egg, Almond Meal and Salt until combined.
• Mix in the Flour on the lowest speed and stop as soon as the dough comes together to avoid overworking the pastry.
• Place the pastry between two sheets of baking paper and roll into a thin circle, larger than your tart pan. Place over a flat tray in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, then line your tart pan with the pastry (see note 1). Prick the bottom with a fork and place back in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat your oven on 160'C/325'F. While the over is preheating, place the pastry in the freezer. Blind bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is dry to the touch (see note 2). Set aside to cool down completely.
• Thinly slice the Apples, using a Mandoline or a sharp knife. Place in a tray with the Lemon Juice amd mix with your fingers to insure there is lemon juice all over the sliced apples.
• Fill the pastry crust with the Applesauce, using a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly.
• Place the sliced apples in circle over the applesauce, starting from the edges and finishing in the center of the tart.
• Bake for another 10 minutes, just to soften up the apple slices.
• Optional: you can brush some Apricot Jam (or any fruit jam/preserve) over the baked apples for a shiny finish
• Leave to cool down a bit then serve warm with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream

SHORTCRUST PASTRY APPLE TART

Steps:

• In a bowl combine an egg, sugar, butter, flour, and a pinch of salt. Using your hands mix all the ingredients together to form a firm dough. Wrap it with cling film and refrigerate while making the apple filling.
• Grease a 28 cm (11 inches) flan dish with butter and preheat the oven to 180°C (360 °F). Then peel the apples, remove the core and cut into slices. Combine sliced apples with ground cinnamon and lemon juice. * Feel free to add a handful raisins or almond flakes to your apple filling.
• Take the dough out of the fridge and divide the dough into two doughs: 2/3 (two thirds) and 1/3 (one third). Roll out the 1/3 pastry dough on a flour-dusted surface with a dusted rolling pin. Place it on the prepared the prepared flan dish (tart tin). Then press the pastry into the flan dish with your hands. * If your dough is breaking apart, don't worry, just press it into the form with your hands. * To make your life easier simply roll out the dough dough on a lightly dusted parchment paper or silicon mat and gently turn the rolled-out pastry into the prepared flan dish (tart tin).
• Roll out the 2/3 pastry dough and put it on top of the filling with the help of the rolling pin (see step by step photo above). (I always divide the pastry once again into 2. In that way it will be easier to work with). Cut the pastry top in the middle, to allow the steam to escape.
• Bake for about 40 minutes in the preheated oven. Let the tart cool for a few minutes. Serve your apple tart warm or cold with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, vanilla sauce or just like that.

EASY APPLE TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to a rectangle about the size of this magazine and trim the edges to neaten. Place the pastry on a baking sheet and scatter with the almonds and 1 tbsp sugar. Score perforated lines to make 6 equal-size sections (this will make the tart easier to cut). Arrange each half of apple, sliced, in its own section of pastry. Can be made up to this stage the night before, covered with cling film and chilled in the fridge.
• Scatter the remaining sugar over the apples, dot with butter, then bake for 50-55 mins until the pastry is biscuity brown and the apples are tinged and soft. Cut the tart into 6 squares, dust with icing sugar, if you like, and serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor and whiz or pulse briefly. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz. You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together.
• If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring the dough together. With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough, until it is about 3/4-inch thick, and then wrap in plastic wrap, or place in a plastic bag, and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Variations:
• Sweet shortcrust pastry: In place of the pinch of salt, use 1 tablespoon of icing sugar.
• Sour cream shortcrust pastry: Replace the egg with 2 tablespoons of sour cream or creme fraiche, adding just enough to bring the dough together.

ULTIMATE APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Put a layer of paper towels on a large baking sheet. Quarter, core, peel and slice the apples about 5mm thick and lay evenly on the baking sheet. Put paper towels on top and set aside while you make and chill the pastry.
• For the pastry, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until just mixed. Break in a whole egg and a yolk (keep the white for glazing later). Beat together for just under 1 min - it will look a bit like scrambled egg. Now work in the flour with a wooden spoon, a third at a time, until it's beginning to clump up, then finish gathering it together with your hands. Gently work the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film, and chill for 45 mins. Now mix the 140g/5oz sugar, the cinnamon and flour for the filling in a bowl that is large enough to take the apples later.
• After the pastry has chilled, heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Cut off a third of the pastry and keep it wrapped while you roll out the rest, and use this to line a pie tin - 20-22cm round and 4cm deep - leaving a slight overhang. Roll the remaining third to a circle about 28cm in diameter. Pat the apples dry with kitchen paper, and tip them into the bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Give a quick mix with your hands and immediately pile high into the pastry-lined tin.
• Brush a little water around the pastry rim and lay the pastry lid over the apples pressing the edges together to seal. Trim the edge with a sharp knife and make 5 little slashes on top of the lid for the steam to escape. (Can be frozen at this stage.) Brush it all with the egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake for 40-45 mins, until golden, then remove and let it sit for 5-10 mins. Sprinkle with more sugar and serve while still warm from the oven with softly whipped cream.