Ingredients
Method
1.Have butter for almond frangipane at room temperature.
2.Chop cold butter. Sift flour into large bowl, rub in butter until crumbly. Mix in enough of the water to make ingredients just come together. Knead dough lightly on floured surface until smooth. Flatten pastry slightly, wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate 30 minutes.
3.Grease eight 8cm (3¼-inch) round loose-based fluted flan pans. Divide pastry into eight equal portions. Roll out each portion on floured surface or between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line pans.
4.Lift pastry into pans, press over bases and sides, trim excess pastry. Prick bases all over with fork, place pans on oven tray, refrigerate 30 minutes.
5.Make Frangipane, whisk butter and sugar in medium bowl until light and fluffy, whisk in egg, until combined. Stir in ground almonds and sifted flour.
6.Make Vanilla pastry cream, split vanilla bean, scrape seeds into medium saucepan, add bean and milk. Bring to the boil, remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in medium heatproof bowl until combined, gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Strain into same pan, discard vanilla bean. Whisk over high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat, cover surface with plastic wrap.
7.Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced).
8.Line pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice. Bake 15 minutes, remove paper and beans. Bake a further 10 minutes or until browned lightly and crisp.
9.Spread pastry cream into tart shells, top with frangipane.
10.Halve and core apples. Use mandoline or V-slicer to slice one apple half thinly. Cut slices in half lengthways, arrange on top of frangipane, sprinkle with sugar. Repeat with remaining apple. Bake about 30 minutes or until browned lightly.
We used very small pink lady apples, the ones suitable for kids’ lunchboxes. You can also make the pastry using a food processor. Process flour and butter until crumbly, with motor operating, add the water and process until ingredients just come together. Or you can use ready-made shortcrust pastry.
Note
