French apple tart recipe

Show off your pastry-making skills with this delicious tarte aux pommes from Mary Berry

Serves 8-10

• 90g butter
• 1.5kg cooking apples, quartered, cored, and cut into chunks
• 3 tbsp water
• 6 tbsp apricot jam
• 125g caster sugar
• Grated zest of 1 large lemon
• 375g eating apples, quartered, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 6 tbsp apricot jam

For the pastry

• 250g plain flour
• 125g chilled butter, cubed
• 125g caster sugar
• 4 egg yolks

For the apple topping and glaze

• 250g plain flour
• 125g chilled butter, cubed
• 125g caster sugar
• 4 egg yolks

1. Make the pastry: put the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, then the egg yolks and a little cold water to make a soft dough. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line the flan tin. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and add the cooking apples and water. Cover and cook very gently for 20–25 minutes until the apples are soft.

3. Rub the apples through a nylon sieve into a clean pan. Add the jam, sugar, and lemon zest. Cook over a high heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring constantly, until all the liquid has evaporated and the apple purée is thick. Leave to cool.

4. Bake the pastry case blind in a preheated oven at 190°C/gas mark 5 for 10–15 minutes. Remove the beans and foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

5. Spoon the purée into the case. Arrange the apple slices on top, brush with lemon juice, and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake for another 30–35 minutes until the apples are tender and their edges browned.

6. Heat the jam, work through a sieve, then brush over the apples. Serve warm or cold.