BLACK BUTTER & APPLE BAKEWELL TART
Black butter is not actually made with butter – it’s a preserve made with topquality apples, liquorice, spices and sugar, which is cooked in the traditional way over a firepit and stirred to prevent burning. As it slowly cooks it develops an amazing, caramelised, sweet flavour. The Irish Black Butter Co in Armagh do an excellent version (see www. irishblackbutter.com for stockists or order online).
Serves 6-8
For the pastry
l 225g (8oz) plain flour, plus
extra for dusting
l A pinch of salt
l 2tbsp icing sugar
l 100g (3½oz) cold salted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
l 1 egg, beaten l 1tbsp iced water
For the filling
l 4tbsp black butter preserve
l 225g (8oz) salted butter
l 225g (8oz) caster sugar
l 4 eggs, beaten
l 175g (6oz) ground almonds
l 50g (1¾oz) plain flour
l 2 Irish apples, cored and thinly sliced
For the glaze
l 1½tbsp caster sugar
l 1½tbsp boiling water
To serve l Irish cream, whipped
To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Stir the icing sugar in, then add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix the egg and water in using a round-bladed table knife, then gently bring the mixture together into a ball. Wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease a 23cm fluted tart tin lightly with butter. Dust a little flour over a clean work surface and roll out the pastry into a large round big enough to line the tin. Lift into the tin and gently press into the edges. Trim away the excess, then spoon the black butter preserve into the base. Use the back of the spoon to spread it out to cover the pastry dough.
Make the filling by beating the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Mix the eggs in, then fold in the ground almonds and flour. Spoon the mixture evenly over the black butter and layer the apple slices over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden, then remove from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature in the tin.
Meanwhile, make the glaze. Pop the sugar and boiling water into a pan and heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Brush the tart with the glaze, then carefully remove from the tin to a serving plate. Slice and serve with the cream.