With the arrival of autumn, East Lothian showcases nature’s
abundance, but Ronnie Clarke pays tribute to the humble apple.

Tarte Fine Aux Pommes:
Fine Apple Tart

INGREDIENTS
(makes 4 individual tarts)
320g All Butter Ready Rolled Puff Pastry
20g melted unsalted butter
8 Granny Smith apples
20g caster sugar

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan/Gas Mark 6.
  2. Roll out your puff pastry and cut out four circles –approximately 6 inches/15cm. Use an upturned bowl and cut around it using a sharp knife. 
  3. Place cut circles on a tray lined with baking parchment. Then brush each one with melted butter. Using a fork, prick all over each circle.
  4. Peel and core your apples. Thinly slice using a sharp knife
  5. or a mandoline. (These are amazing pieces of kitchen equipment, but they are very sharp. Please take care.)
  6. Lay the apples overlapping in a concentric circle. This will take approximately two apples per tart. As the apple is the star of the show, keep the overlapping tight. Brush over the top of the apples with melted butter and sprinkle generously with sugar.
  7. Place in the centre of the oven for 20-25mins until pastry is cooked through and golden. (Remember this is a guide as all ovens are different some more fierce than others trust your instincts. Even pro chefs are thrown with new or different ovens from their own.)
  8. Serve warm or cool, but eat on the day of making. Delicious with clotted cream, vanilla ice cream and our salted caramel sauce, of course.

Salted Caramel Sauce

INGREDIENTS
270g caster/granulated sugar
120ml water
50g unsalted butter
150ml double cream
1 tsp sea salt

  1. In a medium to large saucepan, (NOT non-stick) combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, about three to five minutes. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Do not stir at all during this part to help avoid crystallisation. Allow to boil until the mixture turns a golden caramel colour, about 10-15 minutes, maybe longer, depending on your stove. Keep an eye on it, but do not stir. You can occasionally tip the pan from side to side to help things cook evenly.
  2. Warm the double cream slightly in a separate pan. Remove the caramel pan from the heat and immediately add the cream in a slow, steady stream. The caramel will bubble up so be careful with this step. If you don’t warm the cream beforehand, it will bubble up like crazy. Whisk quickly and well as you add the cream, whisking until well combined. PLEASE TAKE CARE WITH THIS STEP – caramel burns are no joke.
  3. Add a teaspoon of salt and butter and stir to combine. Add additional salt if you prefer a more salted caramel.
  4. Allow the caramel sauce to cool slightly for pouring over. It will be thin, but you want a pouring texture for the tart.
  5. It will thicken and set when in the fridge but can be heated again for a pouring texture. Store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Top Tips


When cutting your circles from your puff pastry try to cut them as close together as possible to minimise waste. You may even get more than four discs out of the pastry. Or the left-over pastry can be used for something else – perhaps canapés?

If ready-rolled pastry is not available, you can buy the block and roll out thinly to 3mm. You can of course make your own but sometimes even chefs use a wee cheat when cooking at home.

Make sure all your ingredients are weighed out and set to the side when making your caramel sauce so you can give the pot and stove your full attention. Making caramel is sometimes tricky and hot caramel is like lava so pay full attention!
If you don’t like your caramel to be thick, you can add more cream, resulting in a thinner caramel. For a creamy caramel sauce use clotted cream instead of double

Lewis & Clarke
2a Main Street, Gifford EH41 4QH | 01620 811001
info@lcartisan.co.uk