Canterbury Apple Tart

This is the first installment of my English Tart series. This is an absolutely addictive tart and may become our go to choice for Thanksgiving dinner!  We get Bramley Seedlings and dessert apples came from our farmer’s market where we can get all sorts of heirloom apples in the fall.

Makes One 11” Tart

Pastry Ingredients:

4 oz. cold unsalted butter, cubed
8 oz. unbleached flour
1 oz. icing sugar, sifted
1 large egg, beaten

Filling Ingredients:

4 large eggs
8 oz. berry sugar
2 lemons, rind finely grated & lemons squeezed (approx. 1 – 2 Tbsp. rind & 4 – 6 Tbsp. juice), depending on how lemony you want the tart to be
4 oz. butter, melted
2 large Bramley Seedling apples, or Northern Spy (approx. 12 oz. total)
2 dessert apples (such as Gala or Braeburn), peeled & thinly sliced
1 oz. demerara sugar

Make The Pastry:

Place flour and icing sugar into the bowl of a food processor, using on/off turns  combine for a few seconds. Add the cold butter and process, using on/off turns until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the machine running, add the egg yolk just until the mixture begins to clump together. Remove from the processor and form into a ball; flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap; chill for about 30 minutes. Roll out the dough to approximately 12 ½” on a floured surface and press into a round 11” x 1 ½” deep fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, folding over the excess to form a double sided tart. Chill for a further 30 minutes while making the filling.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Make The Filling:

Beat the eggs, berry sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the warm melted butter. Coarsely grate the Bramley Seedling apples directly into the mixture and mix well. Remove the tart shell from the fridge and spread the runny lemon mixture over the base. Level the surface, if necessary, with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula; arrange the dessert apple slices around the edge, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Place heavy baking tray in the oven; place the apple tart on the baking tray and bake for 40 – 50 min. or until the centre feels firm to the touch and the apples are tinged brown. Remove from the oven, cool and serve.

Helpful tip:  Granny Smith apple, Honeycrisp apple, Golden Delicious apple, Rome Beauty apple, and Jonathan apple are good substitutes for Bramley apples.