Apple Shortcake for Autumn

To Make the Dough

Beat the butter and sugar until creamy and thick (electric beaters or a wooden spoon). Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla, flour, almond meal and baking powder, beating very slowly until it comes together. It will be a soft dough. Use a spatula to visually halve the mixture, then spatula each halve into a plastic bag, wrap and roughly pat into a disc and chill for at least 30 minutes.

To Make the Filling

Add the butter and rapadura sugar to a 24cm fry pan. When melted add the apples. Cover and cook over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes until soft. The lid will keep those lovely juices in. Remove the lid, turn off the heat and add the berries, vanilla, lemon zest and a splash (1 tablespoon) of calvados if you have it. Set aside to cool – this is important, because the butter will set the liquid (to a degree) and will give the finished tart a lovely moistness.

Add the butter and rapadura sugar to a 24cm fry pan. When melted add the apples. Cover and cook over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes until soft. The lid will keep those lovely juices in. Remove the lid, turn off the heat and add the berries, vanilla, lemon zest and a splash (1 tablespoon) of calvados if you have it. Set aside to cool – this is important, because the butter will set the liquid (to a degree) and will give the finished tart a lovely moistness.

Put It Together

Pre heat the oven to 180c or 165c if fan forced. Line a 24cm springform cake tin with baking paper, or simply butter the tin well and dust with flour.

Roll 1 disc of pastry at a time between baking paper, using just a little bit of flour. You need to do this quite quickly and if it is cold enough it will be fine. Remember, between rolls you will need to stop, lift the paper off, sprinkle the pastry with a little flour, then replace the paper, turn it over, lift off the paper, sprinkle it with a little flour then replace the paper. This will allow the pastry to roll. Roll to 26cm and then immediately invert into the tin – some should come a little way up the side of the tin. If it breaks, just patch it up.  Place that in the freezer to chill while you roll the top out – but make that one  about 25cm diameter.

Place the fruit in pastry, invert the top pastry and peel off the paper. Seal the sides, sprinkle with the almonds and place in the oven. Cook for about 30 – 40 minutes or until the top is golden, but remembering when you see the top is golden, the sides and base may still need a few more minutes to cook through. 30 minutes should do it though.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing the sides and serving.