Apple and salted caramel tartlets

Ingredients

FOR THE SABLE PASTRY

• 220g plain flour
• 120g unsalted butter
• 80g icing sugar
• 1 large egg (about 50g)
• 40g corn flour
• 1g salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon

FOR THE APPLE COMPOTE

• 400g jazz (or any sour variety) apples, peeled and finely diced (net weight)
• 35g caster sugar
• 40ml lemon juice
• 40ml water
• 1.5g salt
• 25g unsalted butter

FOR THE LEMON JAM

• 100ml lemon juice
• 70g fructose
• 2g pectin

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE

• 220g sugar
• 40g glucose syrup
• 130g water
• 300g double cream
• 1 tsp salt

TO ASSEMBLE

• 100g white chocolate

Method

MAKE THE SABLE PASTRY (at least 2 hrs ahead of baking)

1. Pour all dry ingredients (flour, corn flour, icing sugar, lemon zest) in a bowl. Add the cold butter and rub in with your fingers until the mixture resemble breadcrumbs (or use a stand mixer with the leaf attachment). In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the salt and vanilla extract. Add to the crumbly mixture and bring the dough together with a spatula and then using your hands, until it has a uniform consistency (resist the temptation to knead the dough). Flatten the dough to a square shape, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 2 hours. When you are ready to roll it, take it out of the refrigerator and let it rest for 15 minutes (make it 10 if it’s quite warm in your kitchen).

BAKE THE SABLE PASTRY

2. Get your tartlet tins or rings ready. If you don’t have 12 of them (like me), you will have to bake the shells in multiple batches. Roll out to the pastry to 3mm thickness and cut out discs twice as wide as the moulds. Working one by one, line each ring or tin making sure you use a leftover piece of dough to press the pastry discs nicely into the moulds to adhere perfectly with every tiny angle and corner. Trim the overhanging excess dough with a sharp knife. Pop the lined rings into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up a bit. In the meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. Check my quick skills video if you are unsure of any of the steps.
   
   
3. After 15 minutes, take pastry out of the fridge and blind bake the tart shells. Line the tart shells with some baking paper, so that the dough is completely covered. Fill each up with dried beans, uncooked rice or ceramic beans and bake in the centre rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the baking beans and the parchment and bake for further 5 minutes. Take out of the oven and set on a rack to cool completely before removing from the rings/tins. Repeat the process until you have 12 tart shells.

MAKE THE LEMON JAM

4. Mix 1 tbsp of the fructose with the pectin to disperse the thin molecules of the pectin and avoid any lumps. Pour the lemon juice and remaining sugar in small pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once it starts boiling, add the pectin mix, stir until dissolved and leave to boil on medium low for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to set at room temperature.

MAKE THE APPLE COMPOTE

5. Combine all the ingredients but the butter in a pan, bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once it is boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the butter and stir until melted and fully combined. Set aside to cool.

ASSEMBLE THE TARTLETS

6. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler / bain-marie. Using a brush, apply a thin layer of white chocolate on the inside of every tartlet, to prevent the compote to turn the tart shell soggy. Leave to harden in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
   
   
7. Using a teaspoon, spread a layer of apple compote to reach halfway the depth of the tartlet. Make sure you spread it evenly and that you smooth the top flat. Add a thin spread of lemon jam over the compote and spread it even and flat. You should be left with about half depth of the tartlet to be filled with the caramel sauce. Repeat for all shells and set aside.

MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE

8. Pour the water in a medium saucepan, add the sugar and glucose syrup, and bring to a boil over a medium heat. When boiling, wait for the mixture to start turning a nice amber colour, this should take around 5 to 10 minutes. When the caramel is looking amber, but not too dark, remove the pan from the heat and lay it on a heatproof surface. Stir in one third of the cream and whisk promptly to mix and cool down the caramel. Be careful as it will bubble a lot and might splash on your hands. When the bubbling slows down, add the rest of the cream while whisking to achieve a nice and silky texture. Put the pan back on the hob and bring back to the boil on a medium-low heat. Once it boils, keep stirring with a spatula and stick a food thermometer in the pan. Bring the caramel up to 108˚C, the remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly, before transferring to a heatproof jar.

TO FINISH AND SERVE

9. The caramel will cool down quicker than you think. Line up all the tart shells filled with the other ingredients, and working one by one, pour the caramel sauce neatly in one go until you reach the edge. The caramel will level itself and retain a smooth and shiny surface. Repeat with all the other tartlets. Leave to cool completely at room temperature, before transferring to the fridge until ready to serve.
   
   
10. Before serving, decorate as you please. I simply sprinkled a mixture of caster sugar, some fine salt and lemon zest on a linear shape. Enjoy!