Ingredients

• 250g/9oz caster sugar
• 250g/9oz ground almonds
• 1 free-range egg
• white only
• lightly whisked
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• 500g/1lb 2oz all butter ready-made puff pastry
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten
• 4 apples
• very finely sliced
• 75g/3oz butter
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 4 tbsp apricot jam
• 115g/4oz dark soft brown sugar
• 115g/4oz butter
• 175ml/6fl oz double cream
• 250ml/9fl oz vanilla ice cream
• 4 sprigs mint

Directions

• To make the marzipan
• heat the sugar and 75ml/5 tbsp water in a saucepan until dissolved then boil the syrup until the mixture reaches 100C/220F (use a sugar thermometer to measure this). This is known as the soft ball stage
• when a drop placed in cold water to cool down
• it will form a soft ball.
• In a bowl
• mix together the ground almonds
• egg white and almond extract.
• Pour the sugar syrup over the ground almonds and mix vigorously until the mixture forms a thick paste.
• Chill the marzipan in the fridge for 1-2 hours
• or until firm.
• For the tart
• preheat the oven to 210C/425F/Gas 7. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
• Roll the puff pastry out thinly on a floured surface. Cut out 4 x 12cm/4½ in circles
• and lay them onto the baking tray. Leaving a gap of about a centimetre round the edge
• lightly score the middles of each pastry circle with a small sharp knife
• making a grid of lines. This will stop the pastry puffing up too much in the middle. Brush each pastry circle with the beaten egg.
• Roll the chilled marzipan out to 5mm/¼in thick. (If the marzipan is too hard to rollout
• allow it to warm slightly at room temperature.) Cut out 4 x 11cm/4in circles and place each marzipan circle on top of a pastry circle.
• Arrange the apple slices
• overlapping in concentric circles
• on top of each circle of marzipan so that all of the marzipan is covered.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan until just melted then brush over the top of the apples and sprinkle the sugar over the top.
• Transfer to the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes
• or until the pastry is risen and golden-brown.
• Meanwhile
• place the apricot jam and a tablespoon of water into a saucepan and heat until the jam has melted. Pass the jam through a fine sieve into a bowl.
• Remove the tarts from the oven and brush with the melted apricot jam.
• For the sauce
• heat the sugar and butter in a small saucepan until melted and well combined.
• Pour in the double cream and simmer gently for 3-5 minutes
• or until the mixture thickens slightly.
• To serve
• place a tart into the centre of each serving plate
• drizzle the caramel sauce around the outside. Top with a ball of ice cream and sprig of mint and serve immediately.