Michelle Darmody: How to use autumn apples in tarts, pastries and cakes

Michelle Darmody. Picture: Fergal Phillips

Cox's Orange Pippin apples have a very satisfying sound when you give them a shake, the seeds rattle around inside when they are ripe as they are quite loosely held in the apple's flesh. Their smell always evokes autumn, the slight stickiness of the skin and russet colours add to their charm. Their taste softens and mellows with age but when newly picked from the tree they are sharp and slightly astringent. I like to use them in crumbles and tarts as they add an extra dimension to the taste that some blander varieties lack. There are other varieties that will also add bite, such as Elstar or Bramley's. If you cannot find any of these, a good fresh cooking apple will do the trick for these recipes.

The rosettes can be a little fiddly to roll but the results are very nice. If you have a mandoline it will allow you to slice the apples thinly; just turn them slightly as you are using it to get long strips. I often make an apple puree that can be served with porridge or yogurt in the morning. It is the basis for the rosette tart — that and the apricot jam. For every medium-sized apple, which I dice, I use about 10g butter and a 1 tsp of honey. Place the ingredients into a pan, then cover with a lid and simmer until soft. A small sprinkling of cinnamon or some raisins can add flavour.