Normandy apple tart
A classic French apple tart flavoured with vanilla, nutmeg and calvados.
Ingredients
- 6 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 uncooked sweet shortcrust pastry case, about 25cm/10in wide
- 80ml/2¾fl oz full-fat milk
- 120²µ/4½´Ç³ú crème fraîche
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds only
- 50–60²µ/1¾–2¼´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 2 free-range eggs
- 100ml/3½fl oz calvados or Somerset apple cider brandy
- fresh nutmeg, to grate
- 4 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
- 400g/14oz crème fraîche, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 6½. Arrange the apple slices, fanned out in the pastry case. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the apples are soft. Remove from the oven. Turn the oven down to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 2½.
Whisk together the milk, crème fraîche, vanilla seeds, sugar and eggs in a bowl and add half of the calvados. Pour this mixture evenly over the apples in the pastry case and place back in the oven for another 40–50 minutes until just set.
Whilst still warm, grate over some fresh nutmeg. Leave to cool a little and drizzle over the remaining calvados. Glaze the top of the tart with the warm apricot jam.
Place on a serving plate, cut into slices and serve with the crème fraîche.
