WINTER CRUMBLE TART
WINTER CRUMBLE TART
WINTER CRUMBLE TART

Ingredients
  • 225g/8oz plain flour
  • plus extra for dusting
  • 125g/4½oz chilled butter
  • cut into cubes
  • 30g/1oz caster sugar
  • 1 large free-range egg
  • beaten
  • 4 large Bramley apples (about 1.2kg/2lb 10oz)
  • peeled
  • cored and cut into small chunks
  • 150g/5½oz caster sugar
  • 275g/10oz fresh blackberries
  • 175g/6oz plain flour
  • 100g/3½oz butter
  • at room temperature
  • cut into cubes
  • 50g/1¾oz rolled oats
  • 100g/3½oz demerara sugar
  • 50g/1¾oz hazelnuts
  • roasted and chopped
  • custard or double cream
  • to serve
Directions
  • Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
  • For the pastry
  • pulse the flour and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (or rub the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl using your fingertips).
  • Add the sugar
  • egg and 1-2 tablespoons of cold water and mix again until the mixture comes together as a smooth dough.
  • Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it out into a circle that's about 3mm thick and large enough to line the tart tin. Press the pastry into the base and sides of the tin and make a small lip around the top with the excess pastry. Prick the base all over with a fork
  • then chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
  • Line the chilled pastry case with baking paper and baking beans
  • then bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes
  • or until the lip of the pastry is light golden-brown. Remove the baking beans and paper
  • then reduce the oven temperature to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3 and bake for a further 8-10 minutes
  • or until the pastry case is crisp and golden-brown all over. Set the pastry case aside in its tin to cool
  • leaving the oven on.
  • For the filling
  • place the apples
  • sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a large
  • deep
  • lidded saucepan and cook over a medium heat
  • stirring gently
  • for 4-5 minutes. Cover the pan with the lid and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Simmer
  • without stirring
  • for 5-10 minutes
  • or until the apples have softened but still retain their shape.
  • Stir the blackberries into the cooked apples and continue to simmer for a further 5-10 minutes
  • or until all of the fruit is just tender. Set aside to cool.
  • Meanwhile
  • for the crumble topping
  • put the flour and butter into a large mixing bowl and rub the ingredients together using your fingertips
  • until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the remaining crumble topping ingredients and rub them into the mixture until small clumps have formed. (Alternatively
  • pulse all of the crumble topping ingredients in a food processor - there is no need to wash this out after making the pastry.) Set the crumble topping aside.
  • Suspend a colander over a bowl and strain the cooked fruits
  • collecting the juices. Spoon the fruits into the cooked pastry case. (If there is too much fruit to fit into the pastry case
  • add the remaining fruit to the reserved fruit juice.)
  • Sprinkle the crumble topping all over the fruit filling and bake the tart at 200C/180C Fan/Gas 4 for 20-25 minutes
  • or until the crumble is crisp and golden-brown.
  • Meanwhile
  • boil the reserved fruit juice in a saucepan for 3-4 minutes
  • or until thickened to a syrup.
  • Serve the tart warm
  • in slices
  • with the extra fruit juice spooned over it and either custard or cream on the side.