Apple Cider Tray Bake

Serves: 12

Preparation: 35 minutes + 10 minutes soaking + 30 minutes chilling

Ingredients

  • 1 large quantity Rich Shortcrust Pastry or (500g ready prepared pack) chilled Shortcrust Pastry
  • 125g Blanched, toasted Hazelnuts
  • 250g soft Unsalted Butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 1 tblsp Rolled Oats
  • 75g Light Soft Brown Sugar
  • 200g Plain Flour
  • 50ml Medium Cider or Apple Juice
  • 350g Cooking Apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite-size chunks
  • 125g Fresh Mango, diced
  • 200g Caster Sugar
  • 3 large Eggs, beaten
  • 2 tsps Baking Powder
  • 5 tblsp Soured Cream

Method

Put a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick, then use it to line a 25 x 20 cm cake tin about 5 cm deep.

Prick the base and sides with a fork and pop in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Line the pastry case with a sheet of foil, pressing it gently into the corners of the tin and folding it down carefully over the outside.

Cover the base with baking beans and bake on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.

Remove the foil and beans, then bake for a further 5−10 minutes or until the pastry is firm and pale golden brown around the edges. If necessary, use a little beaten egg to brush over any cracks and return to the oven for 2−3 minutes to seal. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C°/Gas Mark 4.

Put the nuts in a food processor and whizz for 2−3 seconds only, to chop roughly.

Remove 25g for the crumble topping then finely grind the remainder for the cake mixture.

For the crumble, melt 25g of the butter, add the roughly chopped nuts, oats and brown sugar.

Stir in 50g of the flour and set aside.

Stir the cider or apple juice into the apples and mango and leave to soak for 10 minutes.

For the cake mixture, cream together the remaining butter with the caster sugar until light and fluffy.

Gradually add the eggs, mixing well after each addition.

Mix together the remaining flour with the baking powder and reserved hazelnuts.

Fold into the cake mixture, along with the soured cream, until smooth.

Spread the cake mixture evenly into the pastry case and bake for 30 minutes, then drain the fruit and scatter over the cake mixture.

Sprinkle the crumble mix evenly over the top and bake for a further 20−25 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cut into squares to serve.

Serve warm with custard or cold, dusted with icing sugar.

Tips

Variations If you would rather, use 2 large cooking apples (about 450g),instead of the mix of apples and mango.

Crumble 50g of Lancashire cheese into the pastry case with the apples.

This recipe is from Perfect Pies and Tarts by Moyra Fraser and published by Simon & Schuster in 2011.