180g plain flour
pinch of salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
90g butter, diced
6 Granny Smith apples
1 tbsp sugar
30g butter
grated rind and juice of one lemon
20g butter, melted
2 tbsp warm sieved apricot jam mixed with 1tbsp brandy

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, add the caster sugar, and rub in the butter. Add enough iced water to mix to a dough, knead lightly, then shape into a disc, wrap the pastry in clingfilm and chill for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and line a 23cm tart tin, then line the tin with crumpled greaseproof paper and baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans and cook for about 10 minutes more until golden. Lower the temperature to 180˚C.

While the pastry is chilling, peel and core four of the apples. Slice them thinly into a pan, add the sugar and two tablespoons of water, then cook the apples until soft. Drain in a sieve, return them to the pan, add the butter and the lemon rind and beat to a purée.

Peel, core and thinly slice the remaining apples and toss them in a tablespoon of lemon juice. Spread the apple purée into the pastry case and arrange the sliced apples in overlapping circles on top. Brush with melted butter and bake for about 25 minutes or until the apple slices are tender and lightly browned. Brush the flan with the apricot jam, slide it on to a serving plate and serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.

(Serves 6)