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A Canterbury Tart is characterized by its grated apple and lemon filling and sliced apples that decorate the top. Serves 8.
“Kent, sir, everyone knows Kent. Apples, cherries, hops and women,” proclaims a character in Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers. The origin of the Canterbury Tart is unclear, but some say it could be inspired by Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, in which apple pie was mentioned for the first time.
Pastry
Ingredients
4 ounces butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
8 ounces plain flour
4 Tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
1 egg, beaten
A little iced water, if needed
Directions
To make the pastry, sift the flour and powdered sugar into the bowl of a food processor.
Add the butter and process on and off, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Turn out into a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add the beaten egg and bring the pastry together to form the dough. If it’s still not coming together, add a little ice-cold water.
If you prefer to make the pastry by hand, rub the butter into the flour and powdered sugar until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg to form the dough.
Pat the pastry into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface and line the baking dish with the pastry. Form a lip around the edge.
When the oven is hot enough, place a foil-lined baking tray in the oven, allowing it to heat through for about 10 minutes.
Filling
Ingredients
4 eggs
8 ounces granulated sugar
2 lemons, grated rind, and juice only
4 ounces butter, melted
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 eating apples, e.g., Gala, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 ½ Tablespoons Turbinado, Demerara or raw cane sugar crystals
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400⁰ F
You will need a 9” or 10” x 1½” deep, round baking dish for the pastry. The baking dish must be at least 1½” deep. A quiche dish works well for this or a tin flan dish with removable bottom.
To make the filling, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and lemon rind and juice together in a large mixing bowl.
Stir in the warm melted butter.
Coarsely grate the Granny Smith apples, add to the lemon mixture, and mix well.
Spread the runny lemon and apple mixture over the base of the tart. Level the surface with the back of a spoon and arrange the eating apple slices around the edge, overlapping. Sprinkle the sugar over the apple slices.
Place the tart on the pre-heated baking tray in the oven and bake for about 40-50 minutes. The apples should be tinged brown so don’t overcook the tart or the apples will burn. The center may still be a little jiggly, but it will firm up as it settles.
Serve warm, or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream, or pour heavy whipping cream over it.