Classically comforting flavours of apple, caramel and walnuts come together in this exquisite Caramel, Apple & Walnut Tart, demonstrated by Kirsten on The Kitchen by Harris Scarfe at the Sydney Good Food & Wine Show 2023.

A crisp shortbread pastry tart shell filled with layers of vanilla cake, sauteed apples, delectable caramel and crunchy candied walnuts.

Tart Shell

Ingredients

120 g unsalted butter
65 g pure icing sugar, sieved
50 g whole egg
290 g plain flour
generous pinch of salt
plain flour, for dusting

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and icing sugar until there are no lumps of butter remaining.
2. Add the egg and mix to combine.
3. Lastly, add the flour and salt. Continue to mix until the ingredients just come together as a dough.
4. Press the dough into an even, flat square and wrap in plastic wrap before placing into the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 165°C, fan forced.
6. On a lightly floured workbench, roll the dough out to 4mm in thickness.
7. Use a round cutter, 250mm in diameter, to cut a disc of dough.
8. Line a tart ring, 190mm in diameter, with the dough and place onto a lined baking tray.
9. Chill the tart shell in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before using a sharp knife to trim the excess dough off the top.
10. Line the dough with heat-proof plastic wrap, or scrunched baking paper, and fill with uncooked rice.
11. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes before removing the lining and baking for a further 7 minutes.
12. Allow to cool completely at room temperature.

Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

90 g unsalted butter, room temperature
50 g brown sugar
40 g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
50 g whole egg
110 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
generous pinch of bicarbonate soda
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
30 g Greek yoghurt
15 g double cream

Method

1. Heat the oven to 165°C, fan forced.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, caster sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3. Gently whisk the egg with a fork to break it up, then slowly add it to the butter mixture while mixing.
4. Sieve the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda and cinnamon.
5. Add the sieved ingredients and salt to the mixer, followed by the yoghurt and cream, then mix until combined, careful not to overmix.
6. Transfer the batter into a piping bag and pipe it into the base of the prepared tart shell, filling it halfway.
7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer is inserted and comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool completely at room temperature.

NOTE: This recipe makes more batter than required for the tart. The excess mixture can be used to make apple muffins. Dice 1 granny smith apple and toss with 1 tablespoon of flour prior to mixing it through the batter, then transfer into a muffin tin and bake.

Caramel

Ingredients

75 g fresh cream 35% fat
¼ tsp salt
175 g caster sugar
125 g unsalted butter, cubed
50 g good-quality milk chocolate

Method

1. Place the cream and salt into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. In a separate saucepan, add the sugar a third at a time and heat until completely dissolved and caramelised to a golden colour.
3. Remove from the heat and carefully add the hot cream while whisking.
4. Add the butter, a cube at a time, and whisk to incorporate.
5. Pour the caramel over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted and incorporated.
6. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and allow to cool completely at room temperature.

Sauteed Apple

Ingredients

1 Granny Smith apple
200 g caster sugar
20 g unsalted butter

Method

1. Peel the apple and cut it into 8 pieces, removing the core.
2. Add the sugar, a little at a time, to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until dissolved and caramelised to a golden colour.
3. Add the butter and stir to incorporate.
4. Add the apple pieces and cook them in the caramel until just tender, gently agitating every so often to ensure it doesn’t catch on the bottom.
5. Remove from the heat and allow the apple pieces to cool completely in the caramel at room temperature.
6. Transfer the apple pieces onto a wire cooling rack and allow the excess caramel to drip off.
7. Discard the caramel and set the apple pieces aside, ready for assembly.

Candied Walnuts

Ingredients

60 g water
80 g caster sugar
40 g walnuts

Method

1. Heat the oven to 165°C, fan forced.
2. Place the water and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
3. Reduce the heat to bring the syrup to a simmer and add the walnuts. Simmer for a few minutes.
4. Strain the syrup from the walnuts and scatter them over a lined baking tray.
5. Place into the pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes until the walnuts are golden in colour.
6. Set aside to cool completely at room temperature.

Assembly

Method

1. Place the tart onto a serving plate.
2. Arrange the sauteed apple pieces on top of the cake layer.
3. Transfer the prepared caramel into a piping bag and cut a small tip off the end. Pipe the caramel around the apple pieces, over the surface of the cake, until it reaches the top of the tart shell.
4. Garnish with candied walnuts.

For more recipes from Kirsten Tibball’s head to the Savour School website.