Caramelised apple tart fine with caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream

Words Daniel Ridgeway | Photos Ridgeway Group

These thin apple tarts are French baking at its most basic, and at its best. A thin crust of buttery, crackly puff pastry with a fan of baked apples on top, then glazed, these simple tarts are normally served without any accompaniment however, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel on top makes for a perfect dinner party dessert that will impress.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Caramel

  • 200g Sugar
  • 500ml Thickened cream
  • 20ml Water
  • 30ml Calvados (French brandy – or regular brandy will suit)

 

Apple tart

  • 1 Puff pastry sheet
  • 3 Red apples
  • 40g Butter
  • 100g Caster sugar
  • 40ml Calvados (French brandy – or regular brandy will suit)
  • 1 Whole egg

 

To serve:

  • Vanilla bean ice cream
  • Icing sugar
  • Mint
  • Edible flowers

Method:

Caramel

  • Place the sugar and water into a heavy based pot, on a medium to high heat.
  • Once the sugar reaches 160˚C—or turns amber brown in colour—add in the cream and reduce the mixture by half.
  • Once reduced, add in the calvados, let cool and pour into a tray/jug
  • Place the tray into the refrigerator to cool and set

 

Apple tart

  • Pre-heat your oven to 180˚
  • Cut the puff pastry sheet into 4 desired shapes (circle is best)—1 sheet of puff pastry will yield four tarts
  • Place the puff pastry onto a large tray lined with baking paper. Ensure that you leave plenty of space between each tart.
  • Lightly beat the egg in a bowl to make an egg wash. Brush the pastry.
  • Take your apples, and peel, core and slice thinly.
  • Place the apples onto the tarts by fanning them out evenly, slightly overlapping, and leaving a small gap in the middle.
  • Sprinkle 20g of sugar over the top of each tart and apples.
  • Place 10g of butter into the centre of each tart.
  • Drizzle 5ml of calvados on top each tart.
  • Place into the pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Flip the apple tart over, and drizzle another 5ml of calvados onto each tart (was previously the bottom.)
  • Bake for a further 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

To serve:

  • Place caramel onto each plate.
  • Put your tart on top of the caramel, apple side up.
  • Dust with icing sugar.
  • Place a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream into the centre of the tart.
  • Garnish with mint and edible flowers
  • Serve immediately and enjoy!