Natalie's Dutch Apple Tart is really good. A melt in the mouth pastry case filled to the brim with sliced apples, lightly spiced with cinnamon and topped with a crumble mix.
And Natalie would be the first to admit it's also really easy to make!
Welcome to the second of my Friends in the Kitchen posts. Like most of my friends, Natalie really likes food even though she is the first to admit she in not a natural cook.
Even so, she still cooks regularly at home for herself and for friends. But she's always happy to let others cook for her (aren't we all), and often proofreads my blog in return for the occasional supper or two. Win-win really.
Natalie grew up in the South of Holland and English is not her first language. You might think this would not make her an ideal proofreader but she has lived in England for 12 years and her English is pretty darn good (she is also very clever).
She picks up on lesser known cookery terms that I assume everyone knows, and things I may not have explained properly. She is also far better at spotting spelling, grammatical or punctuation errors than me. I tend to see what I expect to see, not necessarily what is on the screen - spelling mistakes or missing full stops seem to hide from me.
Natalie's Dutch Apple Tart
Since Natalie helps so much with the blog it seemed only natural to ask her to be one of my first Friends in the kitchen. I just love the Dutch apple tart she makes, so have specifically requested that one for her to share with you.
The recipe is based on one from an old Dutch cookery book of her mum's circa 1958, and I popped round to her flat one afternoon to watch her make it. Of course, we had eat some of it at the end of the day to make sure it tasted good.
Making the pastry
As I watched her prepare the tart, I noticed she breaks all the rules for making pastry. Both the butter and the kitchen were warm, and she handled the dough quite roughly.
But, because the dough is like a cookie dough with a high fat to flour ratio, it doesn't matter much. So, if you struggle making pastry, this one could be ideal for you to try.
The dough was hard to roll out and tended to break up but Natalie just picks it up and patches it together in the tin.
To make it a little easier, you could try rolling the dough between two sheets of parchment or cling film which you can then use to help you lift the dough into the tin. Mean as I am, I didn't suggest this until after she had lined the tin with the pastry. Actually that's not quite true, I wanted to see her to do it her way - it is her recipe after all.
Preparing the filling
After lining the tin the tart is filled with apple slices tossed with a little sugar, cinnamon and some raisins. Because she can't find the apples she would use in Holland, Natalie uses an equal mixture of cooking and dessert apples to get a similar taste.
She peels and cores the cooking apples but leaves the skin on the dessert apples. I stop to admire her apple corer which is much smaller than the ones we get here, and is ideal for dessert apples. Being unable to resist a new kitchen gadget, I had to ask her to get me one next time she goes back to Holland.
Easy Finish
The original recipe calls for the tart to be topped with a lattice made from rolled out strips made with the remaining pastry but Natalie has found an easier solution. She crumbles the pastry into small pieces and spreads these over the top.
It's then popped in the oven to bake for about 75 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
A cross between a cake a pie and a crumble Dutch apple tart is delicious served hot or cold On its own or with a little cream or ice cream.
Hints Tips and Variations
- If you cant get hold of Bramley cooking apples substitute a tart eating apple such as Granny smith.
- For a more traditional Dutch finish roll out the remaining pastry and cut into strips to form a lattice.
- Use sualtanas in place of the raisins.
- Add some mixed spice if you like a spicy apple mixture.
Natalie's Dutch Apple Tart
Equipment
- 24cm (9½ in) round spring clip or loose bottom cake tin
Ingredients
For the dough
- 350 g self raising flour (12oz)
- 175 g caster sugar (6oz)
- 250 g butter (9oz) cut into cubes
- pinch of salt
For the filling
- 350 g Bramley cooking apples (12oz) peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 350 g dessert apples (12oz) cored and sliced
- 50 g caster sugar (2oz)
- 50 g raisins (2oz)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place 350g flour in a bowl and stir in 175g sugar. Add 250g butter and rub into the flour, then knead the mixture gently until the mixture forms a dough. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Place 350 g each dessert and cooking apple slices in a large bowl and add the 50g sugar, 50g raisins and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss together until well combined.
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan)/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Using about ¾ of the dough use to line the base and side of a lightly buttered 24cm spring form or loose bottomed cake tin. Don't worry if the dough breaks up a bit you can patch it together.
- Tip the apples into the pastry case. Crumble the remaining pastry into small pieces and scatter over the top of the tart.
- Bake in the oven for 1 hr to 1 hr 15 minutes until the apple is tender and the pastry is golden.
- Allow to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Cooking might not be Natalie's passion but this might give you a clue to what it is.
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Margo Judd says
I made this for my friends 50th and she said it was one of the nicest apple pies she has ever tasted!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thats great to hear. Natalie will be pleased.
Maurits says
That looks wonderful and I think I should have been on the tasting panel for this! (with lots of bias) Hurray for Natalie!
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thanks Maurits it was lovely. I love apple pies and tarts in all forms:)
Natalie says
You should have been! It's my go to dessert/pie. The recipe is from my mum's Margriet kookboek. You may even recognise it
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thank you