Recipe by Barendina Bals
See more of Barendina’s creations: twitter.com/balsbarendina
Barendina's Apple Custard Tart
Winning Viewer Recipe
Pastry
1 1/4 cups All purpose flour sifted
1/4 tsp Royal baking powder
7 tbsps Butter softened
1/2 cup Powdered sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp Salt
- Preheat the oven to 200°C
- Cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add egg. Continue mixing until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla and salt, mix until combined.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour and baking powder and blend until the dough comes together. Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and chill at least 1 hour.
Pastry Base
- Roll out the pastry so that it is about 8cm wider that your loose-bottomed fluted, non-stick quiche tin.
- Lift the pastry into the tin and press firmly into the corners all the way around.
- Prick all over the base with a fork.
- Cover with a sheet of scrunched up baking paper and fill with baking beans, making sure they reach into the corners all the way round.
- Bake for 12 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Remove the paper and baking beans and bake for a further 5-8 minutes until the base of the pastry case looks sandy with no grey patches.
- Turn the oven down to 180°C
Apple Filling
650 g Crisp red apples peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
2 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Cinnamon
45 g White caster sugar
- Drain the apples, pat dry with some kitchen towel and place in a bowl with the cinnamon, lemon juice and sugar. Stir together.
Custard Filling
2 Medium eggs
40g All purpose flour
60 g White caster sugar
265 ml Full cream milk
1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Put the eggs, flour, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and mix until smooth and set aside.
- Warm the milk in a saucepan to almost boiling, then pour the hot milk into the bowl with the egg mixture, stirring all the time.
- Wash out the pan if it has any scalded milk in it, then return the mixture to it.
- Heat gently until thick while stirring continuously
- Pour into a clean bowl and cover with cling wrap touching the surface of the custard to avoid a skin forming. Set aside to cool.
Topping
45g White caster sugar
Assemble the Tart
- Dish the custard into pastry base.
- Arrange the apple wedges in circles in the pastry base.
- Sprinkle the caster sugar over the top of the apples.
Bake
- Put the tart in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are just starting to brown.
Glaze
- Prepare the glaze by heating the apricot jam with a teaspoon of water.
- Once heated push it through a sieve to remove any bits.
- Drizzle the apricot jam all over the apples and use a pastry brush to spread evenly.
- Allow the tart to cool before serving.
