FRENCH APPLE ROSE TART

Serves 8

100g (3½oz) plain flour

50g (1¾oz) icing sugar

50g (1¾oz) butter

1 egg yolk

1tbsp cold water

For the filling

6 Cox or other eating apples

1tsp lemon juice

10g ( 1/3oz) butter

20g ( 2/3oz) caster sugar

½tsp vanilla extract

Zest of ½ a lemon

For the apple roses

3 red-skinned apples

1 green-skinned apple

Juice of ½ a lemon

1tsp icing sugar

Crème fraîche or custard, to serve

Put the flour and icing sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water. Mix until it forms a firm dough. Wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 210°C/fan 190°C/gas 7. Roll out the pastry and use to line a 23cm fluted flan tin. Trim the top of the pastry.

Line the pastry case with a circle of parchment or foil and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes, until lightly golden, then remove the paper and beans and return the tart to the oven for 5 minutes, until pale golden and dry.

Peel, core and chop the 6 apples and put in a pan with the lemon juice. Cover tightly and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, until soft. Add the butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest and mash until smooth. Spread over the pastry.

For the roses, thinly slice the apples and put in a bowl with the lemon juice and 2tbsp water. Cover with clingfilm and microwave for 3 minutes, until just soft. Drain and cool. Roll one red slice tightly to form the centre of a rose. Wind red apple slices around this, slightly overlapping, to make a rose. Repeat 5 times (see picture). Arrange the green slices in between the roses and return the tart to the oven at 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6 for 10 minutes, until lightly caramelised. Dust with icing sugar and serve with crème fraîche or custard.