Rustic apple tart recipe

This classic apple tart recipe combines the crispy, puffed up pastry and sweet apples and it’s a very simple yet delicious way to finish a meal, especially after a hearty Sunday roast.

Thanks to a few clever shortcuts, this quick recipe only requires ten minutes of preparation. Cooking time is only 35mins so you will have your apple tart ready in under one hour – perfect if you have guests on their way and need to prepare a quick dessert that you can leave in the oven while you get ready.

But don’t get fooled – even though this apple pie is easily whipped up from store cupboard essentials, it still looks really fancy, so you will definitely impress your guests. You’ll need cooking and dessert apples, demerara sugar and ready-rolled puff pastry sheet, plus a few other bits that you probably already have in your cupboard.

Make this delicious recipe for a dessert after a special meal, or just on its own for a little pick-me up with your cuppa. For the best apple tart experience, serve warm with a side of custard. Cream or ice cream work well too, but you also won’t be disappointed with a slice on its own.

Ingredients

• 3 cooking apples
• 3 dessert apples
• 2tbsp demerara sugar
• 1tbsp cornflour
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
• Beaten egg, to glaze
• 2tbsp apricot jam

Method

1. Set the oven to 200°C/392°F/Gas Mark 6 and place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
2. Quarter, core, peel and slice the cooking and dessert apples into a bowl. Add the sugar, cornflour and cinnamon and mix well.
3. Unroll the pastry sheet, trim around the edges and use a knife to cut into the edges to pattern them. Slide pastry on to a sheet of baking parchment. Score a line about 1cm in from the edge on all four sides and brush over some water. Pile apple mixture into the centre, spreading out to the edges. Pinch up the pastry around the edges, folding on the scored line. Press pastry down well. Brush egg glaze over the turned-in pastry.
4. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and carefully slide the baking parchment with the apple tart on to it and return it to the oven. Bake the tart for 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the apples feel tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove tart from the oven.
5. Heat the apricot jam with 1tbsp boiling water and brush it over the top of the apple. The tart is best served warm.