Apple, Orange and Bourbon Tart – Vegan

This is a really easy and great looking tart with flavours that just rock!!

Bourbon, pecans, seasonal apples, warming spices. It’s got lots of wintery flavours, but is quite light and crispy too. The fruit in the tart can be changed, it’s a seasonal sweetie!

I’ve baked loads of variations of this tart, there’s on in my cookbook ‘Peace and Parnsips’. It has been out for a few years now, I’m working on a follow up (promise!;)

I normally prefer experimenting in the kitchen, but some recipes I just go back to and this is one of them. When I go travelling, here and there around the world, one of the things I miss is a proper British apple. They really get us through the winters, especially when desserts are needed, so many amazing apple recipes. Crumbles are, of course, very important. But, this type of tart just changes things up a bit.

How has your 2019 started? We’ve had a quiet one, some beautiful walks up in the snowy mountains around here. They look stunning, much bigger, with a white dusting on top. Down at Black Rock Sands beach today, it was fierce. The waves were huge, roaring in, with bitter winds. It is a beautiful sight!

A question for you?

What kind of recipes would you like us to post on the Beach House Kitchen this year? We’d love to know.

Let us know if you get to get baking, we’ve also got over 200 recipes right here for you if you’re looking for vegan cooking inspiration.

Recipe Notes

The tart in the picture is a smaller version, which I like, especially if you’re not cooking for lots of people. Just cut the pastry in half, width ways.

This tart also works really well with pears instead of apples.

My friend loves Sailor Jerry’s rum, use rum here instead of bourbon, for that spiced rum thang!

Best to use quite a firm and acidic apple here if you can. Something that won’t go mushy when you bake it.

The bourbon is not essential, if alcohol is not your thing. The marmalade with the spices also makes for a top glaze.

Puff pastry can be bought frozen, and will just sit in the freezer until this tart comes calling. It’s a great standby to have tucked away.

—————–

Apple, Orange and Bourbon Tart – Vegan

The Bits – For One Big Tart

1 sheet pre-rolled puff pastry (roughly 320g)

4-5 apples (cored, cut in half then thinly sliced, skins on)

70g unrefined brown sugar

1 tbs flour (unbleached white or a gluten-free mix)

1/3 teas ground cinnamon

Small pinch of sea salt

Orange Glaze

4 tbs marmalade

1-2 tbs bourbon whiskey

2 star anise

4 cloves

1 big handful toasted pecans

Do It

Roll out the pastry onto a baking tray, lined with baking parchment. Carefully score a 1 1/2 cm border around the edge, using a sharp knife. Do not cut all the way down to the bottom of the pastry. Prick the rest of the tart base with a fork, to make sure it doesn’t rise too much. Pop in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it.

Preheat an oven to 220oC and bake the pastry base for 10-12 minutes, until the base is lightly golden on top, but not fully baked. It will puff up, set it aside, the pastry will deflate and settle down.

Toss your apples in the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Arrange in overlapping rows on your tart base, inside the border/ crust. Try to make them neat and tidy and ensure the whole base is covered with apples.

Pop back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the apples are soft and the pastry is nicely cooked.

Put the orange glaze ingredients into a small saucepan, gently heat until the marmalade melts, forming a thick syrup. Set aside, keep warm.

Once the apples are cooked, liberally brush the tart and edge with your warm orange glaze, pop back in the oven for 5-7 minutes-ish. The glaze will mean a lovely caramelised finish on your tart crust. Keep an eye on it, the glaze will caramelise quickly.

Decorate the tart with crushed pecans and I like to add some of the spices, star anise, cloves. They look cool!

Serve warm with vegan ice cream or your favourite vegan cream.

Foodie Fact

I eat at least an apple a day, sometimes two if I’m feeling adventurous. They contain good amounts of fibre, vitamin C and other anti-oxidants, and may well help lower blood sugar levels and keep our hearts healthy.

Of course, it’s always best to give you apples a good wash, but try to leave the peel on whenever possible.