Rose apple + frangipane tart

Rose apple and frangipane tart, or, the tart that broke me. There were tears. There was swearing. There was some dancing. Those who know me well know I am a perfectionist. I hate not being able to do something and I strongly dislike losing. So when my first attempt at this went pear shaped, I threw my toys. I threw them big time. And I’m really grateful no one was home to witness it.

Have a good look, dear readers, because I am never making apple roses again. In saying that, it’s a delicious tart. I’ve used my favourite wholemeal spelt pastry again, but you could always use plain flour. Initially I’d hoped to set the roses straight into the frangipane, but of course that sets quite firmly. So I topped the frangipane with some coconut yoghurt and that was the base for the roses to poke into.

The business of rolling these roses was a real pain in my ass. I trialled two methods. Either way, I recommend using a mandolin to get thin slices. It took a bit of adjusting before I ended up with the correct thickness. Too thick and they will break when you roll them, too thin and they’ll just be too floppy.

Method 1 – the apple slices went into a bowl of cold water with the juice of one lemon. This stopped the apple turning brown. Once I had finished slicing, I microwaved the whole bowl for 50 seconds, so the apple slices became more pliable. This worked but also meant I had to dry the apple slices on paper towels as I went. Also, the apples got softer and softer the longer they sat in the water, rendering them unusable after a while.

Method 2 – I set the mandolin as thin as it could go whilst keeping the apple slices rollable, and worked with one quarter of an apple at a time. I would slice one quarter and roll the roses, before slicing the next quarter. This was my preferred method.

** you’ll also need about 6 red apples (I used rose) and 1-2 cups of coconut yoghurt. 

For the pastry

Ingredients

2½c wholemeal spelt flour
200g butter, cubed and very cold
Pinch of salt
Ice water

Method

Place the flour, butter and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs.
While the food processor is still running, slowly drizzle in the water and continue to pulse until large clumps start to form. (I needed just under 1/3c water.)

Tip onto a floured surface and gently bring the dough together.
Flatten into a disc, wrap in Gladwrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Reduce the oven to 180°C and have a 28cm loose bottomed quiche tin ready (greasing it isn’t necessary.)
Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured bench. You want it about 5mm thick.
Gently drape it into the tin and press it into the bottom and edges, trimming the top.
(Place it back into the fridge for 15 minutes if it’s too soft.)
Prick the bottom with a fork, then line with baking paper and fill with baking weights (or uncooked rice etc.)

Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the baking weights and paper and bake for a further 7-10 minutes or until the pastry is slightly darker. Leave it to it cool while you prepare the filling.

For the frangipane

Ingredients 

110g butter, cubed and softened
110g caster sugar
2 eggs
110g almond meal
25g flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
zest of ½ lemon

Method

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl if necessary.
Add the eggs and beat well.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients and the zest, then spoon the mixture into the tart shell and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Assembling the tart.

Spread the coconut yoghurt evenly over the frangipane and then get busy rolling! Start with a tight little roll for the centre of the rose and poke it into the yoghurt. Continue curling slices around and around the centre until you’ve achieved the desired size. Mine started out big and then grew smaller towards the outside of the tart. Some will unroll and cause you grief. Breathe deeply and keep going until you’ve filled the entire shell.

I like to serve this slightly warm. The coconut yoghurt can handle a bit of warmth and doesn’t go runny.

Notes

• You could also use Greek yoghurt.
• Frangipane recipe via Nigel Slater.

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