For this weeks pastry I made an upside down apple and rhubarb tart using a shortbread pastry.

To make the pastry

Mix together 3 egg yolks and 130g caster sugar until the mixture is thick then add 150g softened butter and mix till smooth finally add 200g plain flour, a pinch of salt and 10g baking powder to the mixture and beat until you have a smooth ball of dough.  Cover the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

Caramelised Apples

Place 100g  caster sugar and 3 tbsp water in a small saucepan and stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Continue stirring until the mixture changes to a light amber colour. Pour the caramel evenly on to some baking parchment and leave to cool and harden.

Peel, quarter and core 4 baking apples, and place in a oven proof skillet. Break the cooled caramel into pieces and place on to your apples. Pour over the apples half a juice of a orange and 1 tbs of melted butter.

Cover the skillet tightly with tin foil and place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the apples are soft.

Rhubarb Compte

Whilst the apples are cooking Place 50g castor sugar, 2tbsp water and 200g chopped rhubarb in a saucepan and cook until the rhubarb has softened.  leave to chill

All Together

Now it’s time to put everything together.

Roll out the pastry to about 5mm thick and using a tart pan with a removable bottom place the ring on the pastry and remove the excess pastry.  Place the pastry and the ring onto a baking tray and bake for 15minutes (180°C)

When the pastry has cooled spread the rhubarb compote onto the pastry base and then top with the caramelised apples.  Melt a little apricot jam and spread onto to the apple.

Lots of different techniques to learn this week.  Next week my book concentrates on a chocolate pastry which is a small problem as I’ve given up chocolate for lent so I’m going to skip this till after Easter so next week I’m baking a lemon curd tart with a sweet pastry.