Apple tart with custard - simple and straightforward, but you would struggle to come up with a tastier autumn dessert!
Check out this easy but beautiful recipe from Bord Bia - it will not disappoint.
Ingredients
Pastry
225g plain flour, extra for dusting
2 tbsp icing sugar
100g butter, diced and chilled
2 large egg yolks
Ice-cold water
Filling
900g Bramley cooking apples
100g caster sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Good pinch of ground cloves/4 whole cloves
Milk
Custard
5 egg yolks
3 tbsp caster sugar
½ a vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out
300ml milk
100ml cream
To cook
Sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl. Using a round-bladed knife or the tips of your fingers, work in the butter and then mix in the egg yolks. Add two - three tablespoons of ice-cold water until the dough just comes together. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Lightly dust the work surface with flour.
Divide the pastry into two portions, one slightly larger than the other, then roll out the larger piece until it is about 30cm in diameter. Use to line a 20cm pie dish or a 23cm flat plate, gently pressing into the corners. Trim the edges with a knife and reserve the excess for decorating. Place back in the fridge to chill while you prepare the apples.
Peel, core, and slice the apples. Place in a large bowl with all but one tablespoon of the caster sugar. Add the cinnamon and cloves and mix together. Brush the edge of the pastry with a little milk and then pile the apples into the lined pie dish. Roll out the second piece of pastry into a circle slightly larger than the pie dish and use to cover the apples. Press the edges together to seal, then use a sharp knife to cut away any excess.
Crimp the edges of the tart with a round-bladed knife, using your fingers as a guide. Brush the top of the pastry with milk and sprinkle over the remaining one tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then reduce the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4 ) and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
To make the custard, place the egg yolks in a large bowl with the sugar and vanilla seeds. Whisk with an electric mixer for a few minutes, until pale and thickened.
Place the milk and cream in a medium pan and bring to the boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Whisk the heated milk and cream into the egg yolk mixture until smooth, then pour back into the pan and place over a gently heat. Cook for six to eight minutes on a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Enjoy!
