Show-stopping apple tart with light buttermilk filling and impressive apple roses decoration. Try it out – it’s not so difficult as it seems.
- 7 oz / 200 g puff pastry
- 1 large egg
- ½ tbsp sugar
for the filling:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 envelope / 7 g gelatin
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup sugar
- pinch of salt
for the roses:
- 1 cup sugar
- juice from 2 lemons
- 1 golden apple
- 1 red apple
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay pastry on a lightly floured surface and form a 9″ x 6″ / 23 x 15 cm rectangle. Cut off ⅔” / 1.5 cm strip from each side. Transfer rectangle to the baking sheet. Pierce pastry with a fork and brush it with beaten egg. Lay pastry strips on edges to create a border, trimming to fit. Make sure strips fit well together, so filling won’t leak from any gaps. Brush egg underneath the strips to seal. Brush on top too. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile make the filling. Beat half of the cream with a mixer, until soft peaks form. Sprinkle gelatin over ¼ cup buttermilk and let stand 5 mins. Bring remaining cream and sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Pour into gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Add remaining buttermilk and pinch of salt. Fold in whipped cream and whisk. Refrigerate for 30 mins.
- Preheat oven to 400° F / 200° C. Sprinkle pastry with sugar. Put it in the oven and reduce temperature to 350° F / 180° C. Bake for 15 mins, until golden. Take out and press down the middle with a spatula, leaving the border puffy. Return to oven and bake another 15 mins, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack, press down the middle again, and let cool.
- Pour cream filling and spread evenly into pastry. Refrigerate until filling is set, about 30 mins.
- Make the roses: bring 2 cups water, sugar, and half the lemon juice to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Core apples and squeeze lemon juice into hollows. Using a sharp knife, cut apples crosswise into very thin slices. Cut slices into semicircles. Put into syrup, so all slices are coated. Cut a round of parchment paper and use it to cover directly the surface of the syrup. Let cool completely, about 40 mins.
- Wrap a slice into a cone to form a bud. Place another one slightly above base and wrap around bud. Repeat, alternating red and golden slices, until rose is formed. Arrange roses over filling.
