Bramley Apples - The Cook's Choice

Bramley Apple Custard And Honey Tart
The Dartmoor Inn - Okehampton, Devon

Preparation Time
Preparation time:
Cooking Time
Cooking time:
Serves
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
Ingredients
 

For the Pastry
225g (80z) plain flour
50g (13/4oz) caster sugar
125g (41/1) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 medium whole egg
1 medium egg yolk

For the Filling
2 large Bramley apples
caster sugar, to taste
1 large Cox apple
20g (3/4oz) unsalted butter
4 medium whole egg yolks
1 medium whole egg
15ml (1tsp) clear honey
600ml (22fl oz) double cream
pinch of saffron threads (optional)

To serve (optional)
1 large Cox’s apple
icing sugar
a little whipped cream

  1. Rub the flour, sugar and butter together gently with your finger tips until they resemble breadcrumbs (or whizz in a food processor). Lightly beat the whole egg and pour into the flour mix. Stir in with a spoon, then bring everything together with your hands to form a dough. Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease a 20cm (8inch) loose-bottomed tart tin. Roll out the pasty into a circle 3mm (1/8 inch) thick and 5-7.5 cm (2-3 inches) wider that the tin. Line the tin, gently easing the pastry down into the corners. Leave 2.5cm (1inch) pastry over hanging the edge. Chill for 10 minutes. Place a baking sheet in the oven, on the middle shelf.
  3. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with dried beans or rice. Put the tin onto the preheated baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the paper with the beans and bake the pasty case for a further 5 minutes, to cook the yolk, the remove from the oven.
  4. Reduce the oven temperature to 170ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3. Peel, core and roughly slice the Bramleys. Place in a pan with 15ml (1tsp) water. Cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until soft. Sweeten with sugar to taste and beat to a puree.
  5. Peel and core the Cox’s apple and cut it into neat 6mm (1/4inch) slices. Fry gently in the unsalted butter until softened and lightly coloured. Place the apple puree in the bottom of the pasty case and overlap the apple slices on top.
  6. In a bowl, beat together the 4 egg yolks, 1 whole egg and honey. Place the cream and saffron (if using) in a small pan and bring to the boil. When boiling, whisk the cream into the egg min, beating all the time. Pour into the pastry case, over the apple and bake for 20 minutes until the mixture has set and is golden brown.
  7. If you want to garnish with caramelized apple, peel and core the Cox’s apple and cut it into half-moon shaped slices, 3cm (1 ¼ inches) thick. Sprinkle with icing sugar and toast under a hot grill until caramelized. Serve the tart warm with a few pieces of caramelized apple and a dollop of cream on each slice.
Bramley Apple Custard And Honey Tart - The Dartmoor Inn - Okehampton, Devon
© Bramley Apples