Food with Passion: Irish bramley Apple Tart – Inspired by my Nanny Rena

John Paul Kennedy is a self-taught cook and an avid fan of collecting cookery books with a passion for good old-fashioned home cooking.

His passion for proper family cooking stems from his Grandmothers, who were both excellent cooks, one of whom was a trained chef.

JP promises to bring us plenty of family-inspired recipes and tasty treats while showing us how to get the basics right.

This recipe for the perfect Irish apple tart is hard to beat. It was inspired by the Saturday evening treat in my Nanny Rena’s house in Firhouse.

Every Saturday she would make two of her delicious apple tarts, one was for Saturday tea and the other one was for whichever one of the family she visited the next day for Sunday lunch.

How we all loved when it was our Sunday to have her up for dinner, knowing that it was our turn to have her beautiful apple tart. I don’t think anything will ever top it, but this recipe certainly comes close.

This is the perfect time of year to make this tart as Bramley cooking apples are at their very best.

I’ve made this for the past two Sundays for dessert and it was out of this world. Top tip – buy loose cooking apples, not prepacked ones.

Feel the apple – if it has sticky residue then you know it’s nice and ripe; perfect for baking in a tart.

I find the dough is easier to work with if made the night before and refrigerated.

Take out from the fridge about 10 minutes before rolling out.

Ingredients:

Pastry

• 350g plain flour
• 55g castor sugar
• 2 eggs
• 225g fridge-cold unsalted butter
• Pinch of sea salt

Filling

• 4 large Bramley cooking apples
• 150g castor sugar
• ½ tsp of cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 beaten egg (for glazing)

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl then add the eggs one by one until combined.
2. Add in the flour and pinch of sea salt and combine until it forms a dough.
3. Wrap in cling-film and place in the fridge for one hour minimum, or overnight if you have time.
4. Preheat your oven to 170°Celsius. Peel core and chop the Bramley cooking apples and pop into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add the sugar, flour, cinnamon and pinch of sea salt and mix well until the apples are evenly coated in the sugar mixture.
6. Cut your dough into two pieces. Dust your work surface lightly in flour and your rolling pin and roll out the dough in a circular shape that will cover a round dinner plate.
7. Using your rolling pin, lift and place the dough over the plate and place the apple mixture on top.
8. Roll out the second piece of dough and place over the top of your tart. Trim off the edges and using a fork lightly press all around the edges to seal the tart.
9. Cut a small cross on the top and, using a pastry brush, lightly brush evenly with beaten egg.
10.  Place in a preheated oven for 45–55 minutes. The tart should be nice and golden and the apples nice and soft inside.
11. 11. Serve warm with whipped cream and enjoy.

All of my family adore this tart. Some enjoy it so much they ask me to keep the scraps of uncooked pastry to nibble on while the tart is cooling – namely my sister Sonya and my Aunty Brenda.

This always evokes the warmest memories every time I bake it.

Served warm with cream for me is sheer heaven. I always make my pastry the night before – I find it easier to roll and work it.

The tart once baked will keep in the fridge for 3–4 days but I guarantee you it won’t last that long. Happy Baking!