The storms that hit the US East Coast have finally worked their way to the UK and crikey is it cold! While it's not like I ever need a reason to hole up in the house and cook, it at least means I can somewhat convince myself that baking pies and tarts is justified. Since it's the middle of winter the selection of reasonably price fruits that are local is rather slim.Thankfully Bramley apples are available which gave me a few ideas to play around with.
What I settled for in the end was a quick and easy tart that as good fresh out of the oven as it was the cold the next morning. To jazz it up a bit, I added the marzipan that's been in cupboard for ages and that I'd wanted to cook with (I point you in the direction of Memory Lane for more info). Marzipan hasn't been one of my favourite tastes but recently I have been lucky to eat some lovely tasting, non-grainy marzipan. I have therefore come to the conclusion that the cheaper marzipans aren't as nice. The Boy would disagree since he loves marzipan in any shape or form even if that shape is a piggy or some odd animal shape that you find at the bakeries here.
Apple and Marzipan Tart
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 Bramley (or other baking) apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
20-25 g. marzipan, grated
Ready made puff pastry, rolled out to measure 18cm x 24cm (approx.)
1 tsp. brown sugar
Optional: lemon juice to squeeze over the apples to prevent them turning brown.
Heat the oven to 210C.
Roll out the pastry onto a baking tray and score a line, while making sure not to cut through the pastry, which is approximately 1-1.5 cm from the edge of the pastry- it should look like a border around the pastry. This will allow the edges to puff around the filling.
Sprinkle the marzipan evenly over the inner square of the pastry.
Layer the apples in tight rows on top of the marzipan. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the apples.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
3 comments:
my next dessert to try this weekend. what is marzipan?
Marzipan is a pliable paste made from almonds (although there are a few chocolate shops that make it with other nuts like walnut and pistachio). Sometimes you'll see it in shops moulded into shapes of animals but usually it gets used to cover cakes.
I made the tart, followed all your instructions. but....I thought I'd get fancy and dot it with butter. Big mistake. The butter flowed out and kept part of the puff pastry from puffing up. Will let you know how everyone likes it.
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