Apple Tart – Whole Wheat + Dairy Free

I know that apple pies, tarts and the like are a complete autumn cliché but you have to admit it is a delicious cliché. Add in the warm flavours of maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg and you have yourself a delightful autumn treat. You can eat a slice on its own or serve it warm from the oven with a scoop of vegan vanilla icecream or vanilla sauce. Pro tip: pies like this taste better the next day. It is a scientific fact.

The rustic apple tart contains three equally important elements: the crust, the filling and the apples. Okay and the spices so I guess that makes four important elements. The crust is made from a simple sweet Mürbeteig, which is a shortcrust pastry , but with dairy free tweaks. Here is the original recipe in case you would like to reference it. The filling is usually made based on feel but now I have recorded it for posterity and, last but not least, the fresh ripe fruit. So let us hop to this quick and easy recipe.

Fruit:

3 apples, I used Royal Gala

Clean, peel and quarter the apples. Slice 2mm thick and set aside. Do not keep the end slice which is basically all peel. I recommend to peel as this will make it easier to eat… this I learned because when I tried to bite into a slice half the apples came with. I believe some people would call this “first world problems”.

Crust:

170 g whole wheat flour

1 pinch salt

60 g white sugar

100 g margarine, cooled

1 small egg

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp slivered almonds, keep aside for when the dough has been rolled out

In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and white sugar. Add in the margarine and as quickly as possible use your hands to rub every thing together (not including the egg) to an evenly distributed crumble mixture. Add the egg and quickly mix everything together to form a smooth mass. Do not knead. Press flat, cover the bowl and set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Filling:

3 eggs

3/4 cup oat milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Whip together the eggs, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and milk.

Once the dough has cooled for 30 minutes roll it out to 3-5mm thick. I used a circular spring form of 29cm diameter. To make this easier I recommend to cut a wax paper to fit the form in a square shape as this will help guide you when you are rolling the dough and will help you when moving the dough onto the form. Make sure to have an extra 1-2 cm for the edge.

Once the dough has been placed in the form sprinkle the almond splinters evenly onto the surface.

Evenly distribute the cut apples in any pattern or style you wish. Then gently pour in the filling making sure that it does not spill over the edge of the crust. If you have any leftover filling you can use it to make a sweet omelette.

Bake in the middle of a 200c oven for 45 minutes. If you think that your apples might be getting too dark then reduce the heat to 180c.

Once done remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Serves 8.

Notes:

• if you want a bit of extra sweetness you can sprinkle a bit of sugar and cinnamon on top which will also make it a bit more caramelised.
• make this ahead and serve the following day. I feel like this really brings out the flavours.