Ingredients

• 250g/9oz puff pastry
• 16 Cox's apples
• caster sugar
• 2 vanilla pods
• 250g/9oz unsalted butter

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• First you will need to roll out the puff pastry. Be careful when doing this
• as it has a high fat content which makes it difficult to work with
• if too warm. If you buy frozen puff pastry
• it is best to defrost it overnight in the fridge the day before using.
• Roll out the puff pastry approximately 3mm/1/8in thick and using a 12cm/4½in cutter or by cutting around a plate
• cut out 4 circles. Place directly onto the baking tray and leave to rest for 10 minutes in the fridge.
• Using a peeler
• peel the apples and cut in half from top to bottom. Remove the core and then slice the apples thinly.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge and
• using a fork
• prick the surface.
• Place some apple compote into the middle and fan the apple around the tart base
• then finish it by placing some slices in the middle of the tart.
• For the vanilla butter
• simply scrape the seeds from the reserved vanilla pods and then mix it with 150g/5oz of softened unsalted butter.
• Using a pastry brush lightly butter the apples and then sprinkle lightly with sugar.
• Place into the preheated oven for 10 minutes
• remove and brush with the vanilla butter and place back into the oven for a further 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven
• brush with butter and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
• Serve with clotted cream.