Let your guests guess the mystery ingredient imparting such an exquisite perfume to this apple tart.

 

For 6 People : Shortcrust pastry 250g de farine 125g de beurre froid 85g sirop de romarin froid  1 pinche of salt Filling 1tbsp kirsch or brandy 4 large apples (Reinette de Canada) 4 tbsp rosemary syrup 2 tbsp Demerara sugar 1 flan tin 26cm in diameter 1 coarse grater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 
  To make pastry:-:
• Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and crumble in the butter until the mixture has the texture of semolina.
  Add the chilled rosemary syrup and mix quickly.
  Knead the dough, flattening and reforming it with the heel of your hand.  Repeat this operation 3 or 4 times till it forms a smooth ball.
  Chill 30 mins, covered with clingfilm to prevent it drying out.
• Meanwhile, prepare the apple filling. 
  Peel the apples whole and grate coarsely into a large bowl.  Sprinkle with the 4 tbsp rosemary syrup and the kirsch or brandy and mix gently to avoid breaking the apple flakes.  Cover with clingfilm and leave to macerate in the fridge.
• Take the pastry, set aside a piece of about 40gr for the decoration and put it in the cool.  Roll out the remaining piece to the size of the tin (including the sides).
• Butter the flan tin and line with the pastry.
  Arrange the grated apple mixture, without the liquid, on the base, levelling the surface with a spatula.  Put to chill.
• Decoration: 
  take the reserved pastry and roll it out into a rectangle 28 x 4 cm.  Cut into leaves (see photo). Take the tart out of the fridge, and sprinkle the 2 tbsp of Demerara sugar over the apples.  Lay the leaves on top, sealing the tips onto the sides of the tart, then brush with a little milk. Cook at 200° for 30 mins.
• Serve hot or cold.

 

 

 If there are children, do not use brandy.

 

This tart has strawberries layered onto a fromage blanc filling and is glazed with a rum and raspberry jelly.

 

For 8 : Pastry: 200g plain flour 80g sugar 120g chilled butter 1 pinch of saltl 4 tbsp cold milk flat tin 28cm in diameter Filling: 4 fleaves gélatine 2 lemons 400g fromage blanc à 40% 200g whipping or double cream 2 tbsp white rum 120g caster sugar Fruit topping: 500g strawberries 2 tbsp rum 160g de gelée de framboises

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Préparation time: 30 -60 min. 
Cooking time: 30 min. 
Resting time: 4h. 

1. Pastry:
   Mix the flour, salt and sugar and, with your fingertips, rub in the butter cut into small pieces till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (in a mixer this will take about 2mins).
   Add the cold milk and work in till the dough forms a ball (1min in a mixer).  Leave to rest for 30mins in a cool place. Pre-heat oven to 160° using the convection setting.  Roll out the pastry to the size of the flan tin on a sheet of baking parchment. Turn the pastry into the tin using the paper.  Prick the base with a fork.  Cover the pastry with tinfoil, shiny side down, pressing down well, and bringing it up the sides and over the edge so that the pastry is completely covered.  This will prevent the pastry forming bubbles as it cooks.
2. Cook for about 30mins according to your oven.  The pastry should be cooked to a golden colour.
   
3. Filling:
   Place a high-sided bowl in the freezer for the whipped cream.  Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water till soft.  Heat the juice of the 2 lemons with 120gr sugar without boiling.  Once the sugar has dissolved, take off the heat, wait till the temperature has dropped a little and then add the drained gelatine and the rum.  Allow to melt , beating with a small whisk, then add to the fromage blanc. Whip the cream in the chilled bowl and blend carefully into the fromage blanc mixture using your whisk.  When well-blended, turn the mixture into the cooled pastry shell and smooth the surface with a spatula.  Place in the fridge for 2hrs minimum.
4. Topping:
   Wash and hull the strawberries, drain well and cut into halves or quarters depending on their size (see photo).  Set aside.  Spoon the raspberry jelly into a small pan, melt and remove from heat.  Add the rum, mixing well.  Leave to cool.  When the cream and cheese filling has stiffened, remove the tart from the fridge, and brush over half the raspberry jelly.  Arrange the strawberries on top to completely cover the filling.  Glaze with the remaining jelly, using a brush.  As it cools, the jelly will set, thereby preventing the fruit from coming away when you cut the tart.

 

  

 

If you use ready-whipped cream, avoid the fat-reduced version.  Leave out the sugar in the filing as bought Chantilly already contains sugar.

If you love fruit desserts you’ll love this too.

 

For 6 people:   Puff pastry 6 nectarines 6 tsp fine semolina 90g caster sugar 1 vanilla pod 1 tart in Ø28cm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 
  You can use bought pastry but this dessert is even better if you make it yourself (see recipe here ).
• Rinse and stone the nectarines without peeling them.  If they prove difficult to stone, microwave for 1 minute.  Cut into thin slices (12 per fruit).
• Pre-heat oven to 210°C.
• Line the tin with the pastry.
• Sprinkle the pastry with the semolina; it will absorb the nectarine juices.
• Arrange the nectarine slices in a rosette formation on the pastry.
• Sprinkle with the sugar.
• Slice the vanilla pod lengthways, extract the seeds, and sprinkle evenly over the fruit.
• Bake for 30-35 mins.
• Take out of the tin warm or cool.
• Bon appetite!

 

 

 

 

You can use this recipe to make 6 small tarts with an even prettier result.

 

A deliciously moist and fragrant tart.

 

For 8 people:   300g pl flour 140g chilled butter  iced water 120g ground almonds 130g sugar 130g softened butter 4 eggs 3 tbsp dark rum 300g raspberries 50g pinenuts Icing-sugar to decorate 1 30cm diameter flan tin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tart will be easier to remove from the tin if you use one with a removable base

1. Prepare the pastry:  place the flour and the chilled butter cut into small pieces in a mixer.  Add a little iced water and mix until the pastry forms a ball.  Cover and leave to rest in a cool place.  Roll out the pastry on baking paper and use to line the flan tin, leaving the paper behind.  Prick the base with a fork and put back in the cool.
   
2. Prepare the filling:  Mix the sugar, ground almonds and softened butter together.  Break the eggs into the mixture one at a time, mixing well.  Pour in the rum and mix again.
   
3. Cooking the tart:  Preheat oven to 180°C. 
   Turn the filling into the pastry case, add the raspberries and scatter the pinenuts over the top.  Cook for 35 mins.
4. Presentation:  When the tart is cold, sprinkle with icing-sugar.  Serve with vanilla, raspberry or rum icecream. Take care if you remove the tart from its tin as the pastry is crumbly

 

 

 

 

You could also serve a strawberry and raspberry fruit salad with it.