Swiss Apricot Tart

Shortcrust pastry

• 6ozs flour
• 3 ozs butter
• 1 egg
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar (fine)

Rub butter into flour which has been sifted with salt, sugar and baking powder. Add beaten egg and a little water to make a soft dough. Roll and line round cake tin with the dough and blind bake lightly in oven at 200 C. 

Filling

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons sugar(powdered)
• 4 eggs
• 3 level tablespoon flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large tin apricots, well drained

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time and beat well. Add flour which has been sifted with baking powder. Add apricots and mix well.
2. Fill the baked pie crust with the above mixture and bake for 3/4 hour.
3. Beat the egg whites to a stiff froth with 4 teaspoons sugar.
4. When pie is cool, spread egg whites over the top and bake in cool oven till the top is browned lightly.

Serves 4-6

Lemon Cream Tart

This tart has got a lovely soft melt-in-your-mouth filling with a citrusy tang to it. 

• Marie Biscuits 100 gm
• Butter 60 gm, melted
• Eggs 2
• Sugar 1/4 cup + 2 dsp*
• Grated lime rind of one lime
• Lime juice 2 dsp
• Milk 1/2 cup
• Cream 1/2 cup
• Gelatin 1 dsp

* 1 dsp(dessert spoon) = 2 teaspoon

1. Soak the gelatin in the milk and heat it till melted.
2. Pulse the biscuits together with the melted butter till it comes together. Press it to cover the bottom and sides of a pyrex dish.
3. In a bowl,beat the yolks and 1/4 cup sugar together. Add the rind and juice and mix well with the cream and milk.
4. In a separate clean bowl, whisk egg whites till peaks form, adding in between the 2 dsp of sugar.
5. Fold this egg white into the cream mixture and pour into the prepared dish.
6. Set it in a refrigerator.

Serves 6

Note: This recipe has uncooked egg in it. 

Source: Recipes for All Occasions 

Apple Tarte Tatin

The high note of the apple tarte tatin , is the caramelised sugar and butter, which gives it a rich taste and the soft cooked apples on a crisp crust lends it a rustic look.

• 1 sweet shortcrust pastry 
• 4 apples(or more)
• 125g caster sugar
• 100 ml water
• 25g butter
• 1 egg, beaten

1. Make pastry , allow to chill.
2. Preheat oven to 200 C. 
3. Peel apples, quarter them. Do not cover them with water to prevent from going brown.
4. In an ovenproof saucepan, place sugar and water, set over low-medium heat, stir until it dissolves. Increase heat, boil syrup until it caramelises around edges- for 5 minutes. Do not stir when it boils,otherwise the syrup will crystallise. Once the syrup starts to turn golden, you may need to swirl the pan slightly to even out the caramelisation.
5. Once the syrup is golden, add butter and swirl pan again to distribute it through the caramel.
6. Remove pan from heat. Place the apple quarters in concentric circles around the outside and any remaining pieces in centre . The apples MUST completely cover the base of the pan. 
7. Place the pan back over a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes to slightly caramelise the apples, while you roll out the pastry.
8. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to a round wider than the pan.Remove pan from heat and place the pastry on top of the almost cooked apples.
9. Tuck the pastry in around the edge of the apples, using the base of a spoon or fork. Brush the pastry with beaten egg, then using a skewer prick a few holes in the pastry.
10. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden, and the apples feel cooked when you insert the skewer through the centre.
11. Allow to stand a few minutes before placing a plate on top of the pan, and carefully but quickly flipping it out. Use a plate with slight lisp to catch the delicious juices. Cut into slices to serve.

Serves 4-6

Tip

Try adding a generous teaspoon of ground cinnamon either to the pastry or to the apples.

Tastes best when eaten slightly warm or at room temperature. Not suitable to be eaten cold. 

Source: Rachel Allen:Bake!