Organic Apple and Custard Tart

Pears, gooseberries, apricots, rhubarb and plums are also good and the custard could be flavoured with a little cinnamon instead of vanilla if you want to ring the changes.

Serves 10-12

Pastry: 8 ozs (225g) plain organic flour

6 ozs (170g) butter

Pinch of salt

1 dtsp icing sugar

A little beaten organic free-range egg or egg yolk and water to bind

Filling:

2-3 organic apples

½ pint (300ml) cream

2 large or 3 small eggs

2 tbsp castor sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla essence

4-6 tbsp apricot glaze (see recipe)

1 x 12 inch (30.5cm) tart tin or 2 x 7 inch (18cm) tart tins

Make the shortcrust pastry in the usual way (see recipe) and leave to relax in a fridge for one hour. Line a tart tin (or tins), with a removable base and chill for 10 minutes. Line with paper and fill with dried beans and bake blind in a moderate oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, paint the tart with a little egg wash and return to the oven for three or four minutes. Allow to cool, then paint the base with apricot glaze.

Peel the apples, quarter, core and cut into even slices about one-eighth of an inch thick. Arrange one at a time as you slice to form a circle inside the tart: the slices should slightly overlap on the inside, fill the centre likewise. Whisk the eggs well, with the sugar and vanilla essence, add the cream. Strain this mixture over the apples and bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 35 minutes. When the custard is set and the apples are fully cooked, brush generously with apricot glaze and serve warm with a bowl of whipped cream.

NB: The apricot glaze here is essential for flavour not just for appearance.

Shortcrust Pastry

Sieve the flour and sugar into a bowl, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour with fingertips. Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt the finished pastry may be tough. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stop. Whisk the egg yolk and add the water.

Take a fork or knife (whichever you feel most comfortable with) and add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then collect the pastry into a ball with your hands. This way you can judge more accurately if you need a few more drops of liquid. Although slightly damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven. The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crisper shorter crust.

Cover the pastry with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes or, better still, 30 minutes. This will make the pastry much less elastic and easier to roll.