Easy Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice-cream

400g puff pastry

4 crisp green apples

1tsp granulated sugar

1 knob butter

For the caramel sauce

350ml double cream

250g caster sugar

Melt the caster sugar in a heavy saucepan and only remove from the heat when the caramel is quite dark and starting to smoke, but not burn.

Away from the heat, slowly add the cream. Be careful if it is spluttering.

Whisk the sauce until smooth and all the caramel is dissolved.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6

Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick, and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Cut the pastry into 12.5-15cm discs, using a pastry cutter.

Peel, quarter and core the apples, then slice thinly.

Arrange the apple slices evenly over the pastry discs, overlapping slightly and 3mm away from the edge, finishing with 1 round apple slice in the centre.

Sprinkle the tarts with a pinch of sugar and a little butter.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Sprinkle the central apple slice with sugar, then caramelize using a blowtorch or under a hot grill.

Serve the apple pie with a drizzle of caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream (for the ice-cream recipe, see my blog for 4 June 09)