Apple and mincemeat tart

Apple and mincemeat tart is an attractive fruit lattice tart filled with apple and fruity Christmas mincemeat. It makes a tasty dessert to serve over the Christmas holiday period.

You can make this tart using either shortcrust pastry, flaky pastry or puff pastry. Use either ready made or homemade pastry such as sweet shortcrust pastry. The tart in this photo was made using homemade flaky pastry which bakes to give a light and flaky texture.

For the tart filling you can use a jar of shop bought mincemeat or for an extra special dessert you could make your own using this easy recipe for vegetarian mincemeat.

This tart is also a great way to use up any leftover mincemeat after Christmas. If you still have mincemeat in your cupboard and are looking for other recipes that use mincemeat you could bake a batch of mincemeat pinwheels, a tray of mincemeat crumble slices or some frangipane mince pies.

The quantities in this recipe are sufficient for a 20 centimetre (8 inch) diameter tart dish.

Ingredients

• 425 grams pastry - you can use shortcrust pastry, sweet shortcrust pastry, flaky pastry or puff pastry, either homemade or ready made.
• 2 apples - such as gala or pink lady.
• 5 tablespoons mincemeat - use fruit mincemeat which you would use to make mince pies.
• Milk - to brush over the pastry before baking.
• Sugar - to sprinkle over the pastry before baking.
• Icing sugar - to dust your lattice tart just before serving.

To prepare

Roll out half the pastry to a thickness of about 3 millimetres and line the tart dish.

Peel and finely chop the apples and spread over the base of the tart dish.

Arrange the mincemeat evenly over the chopped apples.

Roll out the remainder of the pastry. Cut into ten ribbons, each about 1 centimetre wide. Lay five ribbons over the tart, running in one direction and evenly spaced. Lay the other five in the opposite direction to the first five ribbons, weaving under and over the first set of ribbons.

Trim the overhanging parts of the ribbons. Seal the ends with water and press into place.

Brush the pastry with milk and sprinkle a little sugar over the ribbons.

Bake

Bake at 180^oC, 350^oF, gas mark 4 until the pastry is lightly golden (about 20 minutes).

Serve

• Dust with icing sugar just before serving.
• Serve your mincemeat tart either hot or cold, either on its own or with cream, a dollop of brandy cream or ice cream such as stracciatella.
• This tart is suitable for reheating, either in the oven or microwave.

Store

• Store in an airtight container for one to two days.
• The baked tart can be frozen. Defrost at room temperature before serving.

Other sweet tart recipes