Apple Tart (Plate Pie)
Sharp Bramley apples between two layers of sweet shortcrust on a pie plate: the apple tart of every Northern Irish kitchen.
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- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 40 min
- Makes
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Course
- Pudding
- Cuisine
- Northern Irish
In Northern Ireland and much of Ireland, an apple tart usually means a double-crust pie baked on a shallow enamel or ceramic plate. County Armagh, the "Orchard County", grows Bramleys, which cook down to a soft, sharp fluff.
Serve it warm with custard, cream or ice cream.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 350 g plain flour
- 175 g cold butter, cubed
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp cold water, roughly
Filling
- 800 g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 100 g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 3 whole cloves, optional
- 1 tbsp milk, for brushing
Equipment
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Method
- 1
Rub the butter into the flour and sugar, then mix in the egg yolk and enough cold water to bring it together. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- 2
Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6. Roll out just over half the pastry and line a 23 cm pie plate.
- 3
Pile in the apple slices, sprinkling the sugar between the layers, and tuck in the cloves.
- 4
Roll out the rest of the pastry for the lid, dampen the edges and press on. Trim, crimp, cut two small steam holes, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
- 5
Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden and the apples are soft when pierced through a steam hole. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Tips
An enamel pie dish crisps the base best. For other ways with Bramleys, try Irish apple cake or apple crumble.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Soggy base | Plate too thick or oven too cool | Use a metal or enamel plate and bake on a preheated tray |
| Gap under the lid | Apples cook down | Pile the apples high; Bramleys shrink as they soften |
Frequently asked questions
Why use Bramley apples?
Bramleys are cooking apples that break down to a soft, sharp purée, which balances the sweet pastry. Eating apples stay firmer and sweeter.
Can I make apple tart ahead?
Yes. Bake it a day ahead and warm it through in a low oven, or freeze it unbaked and bake from frozen, adding 15–20 minutes.
What is the difference between an apple tart and an apple pie?
In Ireland the names are often used for the same thing: a double-crust pie on a plate. Elsewhere a tart usually has no lid.
Guides for this recipe
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Card photos: A wooden rolling pin with handles, Peter Kammer via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; Stacked cream-coloured ceramic mixing bowls, RLiverpool2021 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A pie with a blackbird pie funnel poking through the crust, Thecopse via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain; Champ: mashed potato with chopped spring onions, in a pan, Glane23 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; Slices of fifteens with marshmallows and cherries, rolled in coconut, Keithawilliamson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A plate of Paris buns topped with sugar nibs, Storye book via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.