INGREDIENTS (Serves 6) Fine Tart

300g classic puff pastry (make your own or use shop-bought); 200g frangipane (see below); 80g caster sugar; 80g unsalted butter, softened; 6-8 Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples; 20g icing sugar; Clotted cream, to serve

To make the frangipane:

225g butter, softened; 225g caster sugar; 1 vanilla pod, deseeded, seeds retained; 5 medium-sized eggs; 225g ground almonds

METHOD

1. To make the frangipane, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla seeds together until pale and creamy. Add one egg at a time, whisking until each is fully incorporated before adding another.

2. Use a large metal spoon to fold in the almonds until well mixed.

3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a large circle about 5mm thick.

4. Slide the rolled-out pastry onto the lined baking tray and rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove and trim the edges of the pastry into a neat circle that measures 24cm in diameter and return to the refrigerator or freezer.

5. Once chilled, remove and preheat the oven to 185 ˚ C fan/ 200 ˚ C/gas mark 6. With the pastry still on the tray, and leaving 2cm around the edge, spread around 200g of the frangipane evenly across the pastry.

6. Using a pastry brush, mix the caster sugar and softened butter together to make a paste.

7. Peel and core the apples. Using a mandoline, slice the apples to 2mm thick. Take just over onequarter of the slices and fan them out in a circle around the outer edge, keeping in line with the edge of the frangipane. Roughly brush the apples with some of the butter mixture.

8. Repeat with the remaining apple slices and butter mixture to create concentric circles until the pastry is covered. Make sure the top layer of apple slices is evenly coated with the butter mixture.

9. Place the tray in the oven and bake the tart for 30 minutes or until the apples start to caramelise and the pastry is crisping up.

10. Remove the tray from the oven. Dust the tart with icing sugar and then lay another sheet of parchment paper over the top of the apples. Take a second baking tray and lay it on top of that parchment paper.

11. Using a dish towel or oven gloves, quickly flip the tart over so the apples are now facing downwards on the new tray.

12. Lightly press down the top tray, then remove it and the original parchment paper. Return the tart to the oven for 20 minutes.

13. Remove the tart from the oven. This time place a serving plate or platter on top of the pastry, and then flip the tart again. Check the apples are evenly glazed and caramelised. If it needs longer, flip the tart back again and return it to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

14. Serve warm with spoonfuls of clotted cream.