Recipe: Blackberry & Apple Flan with Honey & Almonds
Blackberry & Apple Flan with Honey & Almonds by Mercy Fenton
"It seems to me that blackberry season has come early, I’ve been out walking and noted some very bountiful bushes of beautiful specimens, to which I returned with my container before the rain came. It is so rewarding to pick your own berries and make great desserts from them," writes Mercy Fenton in her weekly column.
"When picking, try not to stack loads on top of each other or they’ll bruise and squash before you get them home. Use a couple of containers if you want to pick lots. This open tart of sorts is a mix of apples and blackberries with a delicious almond and honey topping, enjoy warm or cold with freshly whipped cream. Start with the pastry base, and while it’s chilling or cooking, prepare the apples and almond topping, these can all be prepared in advance and everything assembled and cooked when you are ready."
300gr cream flour
150gr unsalted butter
60gr sugar
6gr salt
2 eggs
- Mix flour, sugar and butter to crumb, add in the eggs and salt and mix lightly.
- Turn onto board and work enough to bring together in small round.
- Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour or so.
- Grease and lightly flour a 9 inch flan ring.
- Roll out the pastry approx. 1½ inches larger than the flan ring.
- Carefully place the pastry into the flan ring, pressing carefully into the sides, and keep a slight overhang to prevent the high sides shrinking.
- Rest for half an hour before baking blind.
- Line with parchment paper and fill with baking beans, bake at 175C until golden all over - about 20 minutes.
- When cooked, remove baking parchment and brush the pastry case with raw egg yolk, place in back of the oven for two or three minutes, this will help seal the pastry and keep it crisp.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before filling.
160gr blackberries
600gr peeled, cored, diced brambly apples
30gr demerara sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
30gr butter clarified (to clarify, in a small, tall container, melt in a microwave then allow to settle, use the clear butter only, not the liquid at the bottom)
Any mix of blackberry and apple will do up to half and half.
- Heat a large frying pan, add a little butter and heat, next add the apples, sugar and cinnamon.
- Keep tossing and moving the apples over a gentle heat until all the liquid is driven off - try to keep the apples a little under-cooked - just barely tender is perfect.
- Remove from the pan onto a tray, spread out so they cool quickly and don’t overcook.
90gr butter
100gr flaked almonds
60gr honey
50gr granulated sugar
- Lightly butter a heatproof bowl before preparing the topping.
- In a medium sized pot over low heat melt the butter.
- Add the honey and sugar, and then bring to the boil slowly to dissolve the sugar.
- Boil for a minute then remove from the heat, add the almonds, stir well then pour into the greased bowl to cool.
- Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 175C.
- Gently mix the apples and blackberries together and fill into the pre-baked tin.
- Top with spoonfuls of the almond mix, spreading out thinly to make sure the whole tart is covered.
- Place in the centre of the oven and bake until the top is bubbly and golden.
- Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
App?
