Apple tart fine with toffee and cinnamon ripple ice cream

serves 6

for the ice cream

300ml cream 300ml milk 1 vanilla pod, split 4 sticks cinnamon 180g egg yolks 175g caster sugar

for the toffee and cinnamon sauce

165ml double cream 1 vanilla pod, split 4 cinnamon sticks, crushed 90g demerara sugar 70g caster sugar 120g butter

for the almond paste (makes about 500g)

150g butter 150g caster sugar 2 eggs, beaten 150g ground almonds

for the tart

1 square rolled-out puff pastry, 25cm x 25cm 6 red apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced 100g butter, melted 200g demerara sugar

to serve

150g toasted almonds Bring the cream, milk, vanilla pod and cinnamon to the boil, then take off the heat and leave to infuse for an hour before straining into a jug.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale. Bring the milk and cream mix back to the boil and slowly pour this over the egg yolks and sugar while mixing at a slow speed.

Strain into a jug and cool quickly over ice.

Place in an icecream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Meanwhile, make the toffee and cinnamon sauce. Bring the cream, vanilla pod and cinnamon to the boil, remove from the heat and leave infuse for an hour, then strain into a jug.

Heat a deep, heavybased pan and add the sugars. When it starts to caramelise around the edges, stir the sugar and allow it to colour evenly until it turns deep amber.

Warm the infused cream slightly and carefully pour it into the pan (it will spit and may burn you). Bring to the boil and whisk in the butter and a good pinch of salt. Strain into a bowl, allow to cool, then place in the fridge.

Place a spoonful of the ice-cream mixture in a freezer-proof container and drizzle over some of the toffee sauce. Repeat this process until all of the ice cream is used up, leaving about a third of the sauce to serve at the table.

Set in a freezer until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3½.

Cream the butter and sugar for the almond paste together in a food mixer until light and creamy. Add the eggs a tablespoon at a time, mixing until combined. Add the almonds and mix well.

Lay the sheet of pastry on a non-stick tray and prick all over with a fork. Spread about 300g of the almond paste evenly over the puff pastry. Arrange the apple slices over the almond paste, overlapping them.

Brush all over with the melted butter and sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes then turn the heat down to 150C/gas mark 2 and bake for a further 10 minutes, until the pastry is cooked through. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

To make the ice cream easier to serve, place a large dish in the freezer four hours before serving. Two hours before your guests arrive, remove the ice cream from the freezer and leave for 10 minutes to soften, then scoop balls of it on to the dish and place back in the freezer. Serve from here when ready.

The tart can be reheated before serving, then cut and served to the table with the ice cream, remaining toffee sauce and toasted almonds.