VegetarianNorthern Irish cuisine Desserts

Armagh Bramley Apple Tart

Name: Armagh Bramley Apple Tart
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Northern Irish
Ingredients: 300 g Plain flour; 150 g Unsalted butter; 125 g caster sugar; 45 ml cold water; 750 g armagh bramley cooking apples; 0.25 tsp ground cloves; 1 Egg; 1 tbsp demerara sugar

A classic double-crust tart packed with tender, tangy Armagh Bramley apples encased in crisp, buttery shortcrust pastry.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· County Armagh

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 70 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 385 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

300 g Plain flour — plus extra for dusting
150 g Unsalted butter — chilled and diced
125 g caster sugar — divided for pastry and filling
45 ml cold water — as needed to bind
750 g armagh bramley cooking apples — peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
¼ tsp ground cloves — or 2 whole cloves
1 Egg — beaten for glaze
1 tbsp demerara sugar — for topping

Equipment

•23cm tart plate or pie dish
•rolling pin
•mixing bowl
•pastry brush
•vegetable peeler

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 385 kcal
fat: 18 g
carbs: 52 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 5 g
calories: 385 kcal

Instructions

1
Rub the cold diced butter into the plain flour in a mixing bowl until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2
Stir in twenty-five grams of the caster sugar, then add cold water gradually until a firm dough forms.
3
Shape the pastry into a flat disc, wrap in greaseproof paper, and chill in the fridge for thirty minutes.
4
Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan) or gas mark 5.
5
Divide the chilled pastry into two portions, making one slightly larger for the base.
6
Roll out the larger portion on a lightly floured worktop and line a twenty-three centimetre tart plate.
7
Toss the sliced Bramley apples with the remaining hundred grams of caster sugar and ground cloves in a bowl.
8
Pile the seasoned apple slices high into the pastry-lined plate, creating a slight dome in the middle.
9
Roll out the remaining pastry, lay it over the fruit, and press the edges firmly to seal and crimp.
10
Trim any excess pastry and cut two small slits in the centre to let steam escape during baking.
11
Brush the top with beaten egg, scatter over the demerara sugar, and bake for forty minutes until deep golden.
12
Allow the tart to settle for fifteen minutes before slicing and serving.
13
Serve warm with freshly poured custard.
14
Accompany with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
15
Enjoy chilled with a dollop of double cream and a cup of strong tea.

Chef's tips

Keep the butter very cold to ensure a short, flaky pastry texture. Bramley apples cook down into a soft fluff, so mound them generously in the centre to prevent the top crust from collapsing as they bake.

Ingredient substitutions

Armagh Bramley cooking apples → standard Bramley cooking apples or sharp culinary apples such as Granny Smith
unsalted butter → block baking margarine or half butter and half lard

Storage

Store leftover tart covered at room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerate for up to four days.

Reheating

Reheat slices on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 160°C for ten minutes to restore pastry crispness.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overworking the pastry dough, which makes the crust tough rather than crumbly.
•Slicing the apples too thinly, which causes them to break down into purée before the pastry bakes.
•Forgetting to cut steam vents in the top crust, leading to a soggy pastry lid.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm with freshly poured custard.Accompany with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.Enjoy chilled with a dollop of double cream and a cup of strong tea.