Chinon apple tarts
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- More effort
- Makes 2
Ingredients
For the red wine jelly
- 375ml red wine, such as Chinon
- 200g jam sugar
- 1 star anise
- 1 clove
- 2.5cm piece cinnamon stick
- pinch of allspice
- ½ split vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
For the tarts
- 320g pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
- 4 tbsp light brown soft sugar
- 2-3 eating apples (I used Pink Lady)
- 3 tbsp red wine jelly (see above recipe)
For the cardamom crème fraîche
- 100ml crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 3 cardamom pods, pods discarded and seeds ground
Method
- STEP 1
To make the red wine jelly, put the red wine, jam sugar, star anise, clove, cinnamon stick, allspice, split vanilla pod and seeds in a medium saucepan. Stir together, then heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Turn up the heat and boil for 20 mins until reduced and syrupy. Strain into a small, sterilised jam jar and leave to cool completely. Will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.
- STEP 2
Take the pastry out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for 10 mins, then unroll. Heat the grill to high and heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut out 2 x 13cm circles of pastry, using a plate as a guide, and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle each circle with 1 tbsp sugar and grill for 5 mins to caramelise, watching carefully so that the sugar doesn’t burn. Remove from the grill. Can be done a few hours ahead, and left, covered, out of the fridge.
- STEP 3
Peel, quarter and core the apples, cut into 2mm-thin slices and arrange on top of the pastry. Sprinkle over the remaining sugar and pop in the oven for 20-25 mins until the pastry is cooked through and golden, and the apples are softened. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Warm 3 tbsp of the red wine jelly in a small pan over a low heat with 1 tsp water to make it a little more runny, then brush over the top of the tarts.
- STEP 4
Tip the crème fraîche into a bowl, sift over the icing sugar and cardamom, and mix together. Carefully lift the warm tarts onto serving plates and serve with the cardamom crème fraîche.