Apple & Sultana Tart or Pie

I do love a good apple dessert. Whether it is a pie or tart it doesn’t matter. Just as long as it has a buttery pastry and is filled with juicy apples. I like a tart, with the open top. For a pie I like a nicely browned crust. But this one has a lattice. So, is it a tart or a pie?

Whichever it is doesn’t matter, so long as it has a great taste. This recipe certainly has that. A buttery and crisp pastry base is first. Then a juicy filling of apples with sultanas and cinnamon comes next. With any excess pastry dough you can add a lattice.

The type of apple is a matter of preference. But I prefer a green, slightly tart apple. Another individual choice the ratio of sultanas to apples. To complete a very tasty filling just add cinnamon.

The recipe is very simple to make. However it does take some time. That is because we need to chill the dough. We also have to cook and cool the filling. But after that it is easy work to assemble the tart or pie.

If you want a tart, without the lattice, then the pastry can be blind-baked. But that isn’t really necessary in this instance. If the filling is cooked sufficiently it will be dry enough to let the pastry base cook.

Using some breadcrumbs in the filling helps to absorb the juice without losing flavour.

I used a 9 inch/23cm cake pan for mine. But a pastry ring or a pie dish would also be suitable. You could even use just the ring part of a springform pan if you have one.

My Bake

My tart, or pie, turned out very well indeed. I baked it for 30 minutes. Then I allowed it to cool completely, in the pan. I had intended to lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper. However I actually upturned it on a board and then turned it over. That worked perfectly.

Before serving I sprinkled over a little icing sugar too.

I must say it tasted so good. The buttery pastry complemented the fruity filling. The apple retained a little tartness, just as I like. I ate it cold, served with cream. But it would be great warm too.

Another great version is my Apple Pie.

Apple & Sultana Tart or Pie

Recipe by geoffcooCourse: Desserts, Pies, TartsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• Pastry dough

• 300g(2 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour

• 100g(3/4 cup) icing sugar

• 150g(10 tbsp + 2 tsp) cold unsalted butter, cubed

• 1 medium egg(large in USA)

• 1 medium egg yolk(large in USA)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• Filling

• 400g(3 to 4 apples) peeled, cored and cut into cubes (weight is after cubing)

• 60g(1/4 cup + 2 tsp) light brown sugar

• 30l(2 tbsp) lemon juice

• 50g(1/3 cup) raisins, adjust the amount to preference

• 20g(2 tbsp)breadcrumbs

• 4g(1 tsp) ground cinnamon

• egg white or milk to brush the top.

Directions

• Place the brown sugar, apples, sultanas and cinnamon into a large pan and bring the to boil, stirring all the while.
• Reduce the heat once the mixture begins to boil and simmer until cooked through.
• Stir in the breadcrumbs and cook for a minute or so, until the excess liquid has been fully absorbed.
• Spoon the mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool.
• Place the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor(you can make the pastry by hand too), and pulse to combine.
• Add the butter and process until the mixture has a fine breadcrumb texture(or rub the butter in to achieve the same result).
• Beat the egg and yolk to break them up and add them to the mixture.
• Process(or stir) until the dough begins to form, clumping together.
• Tip the mixture out onto a work surface and squeeze into a soft dough.
  
• Form the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap and chill until the apples have cooled(or at least 30 minutes.
• Grease and flour the pan/ring. If using a fixed based pan line with parchment too.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
• Cut a small portion of dough and set aside.
• Roll out the remaining dough, between two sheets of parchment paper, until it is large enough to line the base and sides of the pan, with some excess.
• Carefully line the pan with the rolled out dough.
• Cut off the excess.
• Add the excess to the set aside dough and roll that out, on a piece of floured parchment paper, and then cut into strips of equal width, and set aside.,
• Spoon the fruit mixture onto the base of the pastry dough, Carefully level it all over.
• Use the strips of dough to create a lattice on the top.
• Fold the edge of the sides over to form a rim and seal the lattice strips.
• Brush the top with beaten egg white or milk.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the top has browned nicely.
• Remove from the oven and allow the tart or pie to cool completely before removing from the pan.
• Sift some icing sugar over the top, if desired.