I’m not going to lie, I totally shed a tear when Alvin left this week. He wasn’t even one of my favourites (like you Tamal and Matt) but he just seemed like the nicest man and you could tell how much it all meant to him.
I’ve made tarts many times before and never had to struggle with my crust. But today I made the same fatal error that Nadiya made on the show. I rushed my own directions and didn’t allow my pastry to chill enough – this meant that the butter started running out during the baking process. Ugh. Major fail!
My downfall on this week’s challenge was that in my quest to have no soggy bottom, I slightly overbaked the top of my pie. But… that being said…the bottom was perfection!
Apple Frangipane Tart
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
113 g of butter (1/2 a cup)
1 1/3 cups of flour
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon of cold water
For the filling:
113 g of butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon of almond extract
2/3 cup of ground almonds
2 tablespoons of flour
4 apples, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar (for decoration)
Instructions:
In a large bowl add your butter and flour and pinch of salt. Blend the butter and the flour/salt together with your fingertips as much as possible. Then mix the egg yolk in.
Continue to blend with your fingers until your pastry resembles fine bread crumbs. Then add in your tablespoon of water and stir to bring the pastry all together. Wrap up and place in the refrigerator to chill.
After your pastry as chilled for about 30 minutes, gently flour your work surface and roll your pastry out quite thinly. Place your pastry into your tart pan, gently pressing down in the corners. Prick the bottom of your pastry with a fork and return to the refrigerator for an hour.
Preheat your oven to 200 C. When the pastry has properly chilled, blind bake it for about 12 minutes. Set it aside to cool whilst you make your frangipane.
To make the frangipane, cream together your butter and sugar. Then add in your egg and egg yolk (one at a time.) When that’s been fully incorporated, add in your almond extract and then your ground almonds. Lastly, mix in your two tablespoons of flour.
Sprinkle your pastry crust with a fine layer of ground almonds, just so they absorb some of the moisture during the baking process. Then spread your frangipane evenly into your tart crust. Lastly, arrange your apple slices into whatever beautiful pattern you wish. Bake for 15 minutes. Then lower the heat to 170 C and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Then sprinkle your teaspoon of sugar over your tart and bake for a final 10 minutes. After that, set your tart aside on a wire rack to cool.
Notes:
Your pastry can be made the day before to save you time.
My beautiful new Mason Cash measuring cups c/o House of Fraser.
And my incredibly huge Mason Cash mixing bowl c/o House of Fraser. I could mix enough cookies for an army in this bad boy!
Checking for a soggy bottom.
Soggy bottom avoided!
A little snack whilst baking never hurt anyone.
Check out Ala’s blog today for our favourite bakes of last week!
Ala and I are so excited to finally announce some of the prizes available to the final winner of the Bake Off Bake Along. First we have an incredible Mason Cash package from House of Fraser worth over £60. There’s some beautiful kitchen scales, a Mason Cash cake pop set, a Mason Cash gingerbread man set, and a Mason Cash flour shaker. 
Plus some fabulous gifts from Dr Oetker, including: Gold Shimmer Spray, Giant Chocolate Stars, Sugar Strands, Premium Extra Dark Chocolate, Surprise Inside Cupcake Centres Salted Caramel and Madagascan Vanilla Grinder!
I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with this week!
