Dame Pru Leith’s Normandy tart

FOR THE PASTRY:

140g cold butter, plus extra for greasing

225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 medium egg

A pinch of salt

60g caster sugar

FOR THE ALMOND FILLING

(FRANGIPANE):

170g butter

170g caster sugar

170g ground almonds

2 large eggs

1 tbsp Calvados, kirsch, or whatever liqueur you like

A few drops of almond essence

FOR THE TOPPING:

3-4 small red dessert apples, skin left on, cored and halved

100g smooth apricot jam

Juice of half a lemon

● Heat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6, and put a baking sheet on the middle shelf to heat. Lightly butter a 26cm loosebottomed tart tin and dust with flour, tipping out any excess.

● Whizz all the pastry ingredients in a food processor until the dough forms a ball. Roll it out into a thin, circle big enough to line the tin.

● Lift the pastry by rolling it around the rolling pin then unrolling it over the tin. Don’t worry if the pastry cracks. It is so rich that you can just use your fingers to patch any gaps. Ease the pastry into the corners, then run your rolling pin firmly across the top, to trim away any excess pastry.

● For the almond frangipane filling, whizz everything in the processor (no need to wash the bowl after the pastry). Spread it evenly over the pastry case.

● Lay an apple half, cut-side down, on a board and slice across finely, keeping the slices in order and in their original half-apple shape. With the heel of your hand, gently push the half-apple so the slices separate a little and lie flat, neatly overlapping each other.

● Lift the sliced half-apples and place them on the frangipane in concentric circles, starting at the rim. Press into the frangipane.

● Set the tart in the middle of the oven, on the hot baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 180°C/fan 160°C/ gas mark 4 and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the filling is set and brown. Remove from oven.

● Make a glaze: melt the jam with the lemon juice in a saucepan. Brush or spoon carefully all over the apples and filling.

● When the tart is still just warm, check the edges of the pastry are not stuck anywhere to the metal ring, then ease the tart from the tin. Serve warm with cream or ice cream for a pudding, or cold in a thin slice for tea.