I don’t usually go for fruit desserts but this particular recipe has exceeded my expectations.  A beautiful apple tarte with great fusion of spices and flavours taste amazing especially served with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

• 3 large Pink Lady apples
• 250g ready made puff pastry
• 50g cold unsalted butter
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 cardamom pods
• Vanilla Ice Cream

Filling:

Prepare the apples, peer core and quarter them, then lay out on a plate lined with kitchen paper.  Leave to dry uncovered for a few hours, preferably overnight. Don’t worry if they turn brown as that will be covered with caramel.

Tarte Tatin:

Prepare a 20cm shallow oven proof pan.  Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out a 24cm round, using similar sized plate as a guide.  Lift onto a baking sheet and chill while you prepare the filling.

Cut the butter into thin slices and scatter over the bottom of a 20cm oven proof pan.  Sprinkle over the sugar.  Arrange the apple quarters neatly around the pan with one in the middle.

Place over a medium heat until the butter,cardamom pods and sugar have melted and formed a light caramel.  Carefully shake the pan from time to time to ensure that the apples are well coated with the caramel and are evenly brown. Leave to cool..

Then preheat the oven to 200ºc. Drape the pastry over the appls and carefully tuck the edges down the sides of the pan.  Place the pan in the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes.  And then lower the setting to 180ºc and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.  Leave to cool.

To serve, turn the tarte tatin onto a serving plate and serve with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!