Lemon and Green Apple Tart

Friend's birthdays are a wonderful excuse to make and share something that is a bit special.  This tart cleverly combines the zingy tartness of grated green apple and sharp lemon.  It does include sugar but I find it cuts into 8 slices and is a rare indulgence. The original recipe is by   Sally Wise , an Australian cookbook author based in Tasmania.   Not too difficult to make, I have made a rectangular tart as well as regular round tin, and transports well if you keep it in

the tart tin.  Enjoy!  Colleen

  

 

Preparation        30 minutes

Baking                30 - 40 minutes

Cooling               15 minutes or more

Serves                8 

Ingredients   

1 1/2 sweet shortcrust Pastry Sheets thawed -  OR  Careme shortcrust Pastry (definitely worth using here)

1 large granny smith green apple - peeled, cored and grated

2 extra large eggs - at room temperature

1 cup sugar - no lumps

2 tablespoons butter melted - allow to cool a bit before using

2 tablespoons lemon juice   - allow approx 1 lemon as you use the zest too

zest of 1 lemon

tiny pixie pinch of ground cardamom     (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Icing sugar for dusting afterwards   

Method

Preheat oven to 190 ℃ fanforced  (my oven 180 fanforced)

Grease thoroughly  a rectangular tart tin with removable base  OR  18-20 cm pie dish 

Line the tin with the pastry, trimming to fit and lightly press to make a smooth base. 

Refrigerate the pastry in tin until ready to use.

Whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, zest. ground cardamom and cooled melted butter in a bowl until smooth.  I used stand-mixer.

Retrieve the pastry tin from fridge. 

You might want to place the tin on a flat scone tray to help placing in and out of oven.

Carefully pour the lemon filling into pastry case.

Sprinkle the grated apple over the filling evenly.  It will sink in by itself.

Sprinkle with the ground cinnamon

Bake for 10 minutes THEN reduce oven temperature to 150 ℃ and continue baking for approx 20 - 30 minutes until filling is set.  Check at 20 minutes. Depends on tin, I sometimes need 30min.

Remove from oven and leave to cool in tin for at least 15 minutes. Best to leave 30 minutes.

Carefully remove from tin (if using removable base)  dust with a smidge of sifted icing sugar and serve.  I find 8 slices is fine.  Can be served warm or cool.

                                     Enjoy!  Colleen