Ingredients

• 300 g pâte brisée
• six dessert apples, about 850 g (ideally Cox’s)
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
• 60 g butter
• 80 g caster sugar

Instructions

1. Make pâte brisée.
2. Roll out the pastry to a round, 3 mm thick, and use it to line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 min.
3. Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Peel, core, and halve the apples. Cut into 2 mm thick slices.
4. Put a third of the apples (the outer smaller slices) into a saucepan. Add 50 mL water, the vanilla pod, and the butter to the apples in the pan and cook gently until tender. Take off the heat, remove the vanilla pod, and, using a whisk, work to a compote consistency.
5. For the glaze, in a small pan, dissolve the sugar in 40 mL water. Bring to a boil and bubble for 4-5 min to make a syrup. This (vegan!) baking site suggests this should be at a temperature between 107 and 110˚C. Leave to cool.
6. Prick the base of the pastry case. Pour in the cold apple compote and spread with a spoon. Arrange a border of overlapping apple slices around the tart, then arrange another circle inside, with the slices facing the other way. Fill the centre with a little rosette. Bake for about 35 min.
7. Leave the tart to cool for at least 20 min before removing from the tin. Brush the top with the glaze, place the tart on a wire rack and leave until just cooled. Enjoy!