French Apple Flan

Sweet Pastry:

• 200g P Flour
• Pinch Salt
• 50g Lard, or Vegetable Fat
• 50g Butter or Hard Margarine
• 25g Caster Sugar
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 1- 2 tbsp Water

Filling:

• 75g Granulated Sugar
• 4tbsp Cider
• 400g Cooking Apples, such as Bramley
• 50g Butter
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 2tbsp Double cream
• 2 Dessert Apples, such as Cox
• 4tbsp Apricot Jam, sieved

1. First make the pastry by sieving the flour and salt
2. Blend the 2 fats together and then rub into the flour to form breadcrumbs
3. Stir in the sugar
4. Mix the yolk with 1 tbsp water and bind the mixture together. If it is too dry add just enough water to make a firm dough
5. Chill for 30 mins
6. Roll out carefully and line a  greased 20cm flan ring on a baking sheet
7. Bake blind at Gas 6, 200C for 20 minutes and then cool
8. For the filling heat the sugar and cider together then add the cooking apples
9. Gently simmer to a thick pulp, then cool
10. Beat in the margarine and egg yolks
11. Stir in the cream and place the mixture in the flan case
12. Peel the dessert apples and arrange on the top in a cartwheel pattern
13. Brush with melted jam
14. Bake at Gas 4 180C for 10 mins. Brush with remaining jam and leave until cold to serve

This recipe is based on a traditional apple recipe enhanced with a touch of cider.