Freeform Bravo Apple Tart
Styling: Anita Parise
Blog: Anita Parise
Photography: Anita Parise
Recipe & Inspiration: West Australian Bravo Apples and Father’s Day
Hi Clubbers, as promised I have been busy in the kitchen creating this delicious and healthy-‘ish’ treat just in time for Father’s Day this Sunday.
It has been a while now that I have wanted to try a recipe using gorgeous West Aussie Bravo Apples. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing, with their deep burgundy jewel-like outer, they are wonderfully juicy and crisp. Their light creamy/custard colouring on the inside makes them all the more wonderful when they are cooked.
Traditionally, most recipes call for green apples when baking, but I don’t discriminate. I like to experiment with all kinds of apples as we eat a lot of them in my household. I found these apples to keep their integrity once cooked by keeping a bit of bite which I personally prefer.
I’ve added a little variation to this recipe – keep your eye out for it, you won’t be disappointed with the results!
We wish all the Dads out there a very Happy Father’s Day. We hope you get super spoilt by your loved ones.
Ciao for now and Buon Appetito,
Anita, Renee and the GR Team
Ingredients
- 5 x medium sized Bravo Apples (for filling)
- ½ cup of almond meal (for filling)
- ¼ cup of coconut sugar plus extra for sprinkling (for filling)
- 1 x egg (for filling)
- 1 tbs of water (for filling)
- 1 tsp of vanilla essence (for filling)
- ½ the juice of a lemon (for filling)
- 1 ½ cups of spelt flour - you can use any Plain Flour if you prefer (for filling)
- ¼ cup of coconut sugar (for pastry)
- 100g of cold butter, chopped (for pastry)
- 1 tbs of vanilla extract (for pastry)
- ¼ cup of refrigerated water (for pastry)
- 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar (for pastry)
Method
* Variations. For an extra indulgent tart, use one less apple and replace it with a handful of strawberries (approx half a punnet). Cut into quarters or halves depending on their size and add a handful of blueberries. The result will be a slightly sweeter, jammier consistency but extremely delicious! The spelt flour can also be swapped for regular plain flour and the coconut sugar for caster sugar.
- To make the pastry, place the sugar, flour and butter in a food processor and pulse until a breadcrumb consistency forms. Add the vanilla essence, water and vinegar and pulse again until the dough comes together in a ball.
- Turn out the dough on a floured surface and knead a little until smooth. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Once chilled, roll out between two sheets of baking paper in a round 30cm shape until about 4mm thick and set aside.
- Peel 3 of the apples and chop into small chunks approx 2.5cm cubes. Continue to chop the other apples in the same way but leave the skin on to add a different textural element.
- Add the lemon juice, vanilla, a tablespoon of water and the sugar to the apples and mix well until the sugar has dissolved and there is a syrup at the bottom of the bowl (you may need to let this sit for about 5 minutes).
- Place the almond meal thinly in the middle of the pastry leaving about a 4cm border. Place the apples and the syrup on top of the almond meal. Gently fold the edges up over the fruit so that it creates a casing. Lightly brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle a tiny amount of sugar over the apples.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes. The apples should still hold their shape but the pastry should be cooked and golden.
- Serve warm and with a generous scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream.
