Apple and Marzipan Tarts

I love a juicy, green Granny Smith apple for baking and cooking.  These wonderfully tart, crisp apples originated in Australia in 1868; they were propagated by the clever Maria Smith known as Granny due to her having eight children and (I guess) numerous grandchildren.

Here we have a recipe for Cookbook Club (I made this in October 2023!) from Roberta Muir's Be Inspired - Food Wine Travel - website.  I have adapted it slightly, to include chocolate-coated marzipan, and extra flavourings - i.e. the vanilla and rum.

Funnily enough, I was never a fan of marzipan in my younger days, until I devoured delicious Mozartkugeln in Salzburg while wandering through Mozart's house.  I am also a fan of Ritter Sport's marzipan.  All that dark chocolate and soft almondy paste ...  

So many memories of Salzburg: staying at a guesthouse called Zum Junger Fuchs, opposite a church which rang its bells very often.  You had to pay (a lot) extra to have a shower downstairs, so I'm afraid we didn't!!  We hired a motorbike (scary for Mr P. as the rider!), and rode to a nearby lake (being wary of the white swans).  As many readers will know, we have black swans here in Australia rather than white, so that was interesting.  And how could I forget the Sound of Music Tour?  It was actually delightful!

sweet, golden and crispy!

Makes 4:

ingredients:

4-5 tsp lemon juice

2 Tbs caster sugar or 1 Tbs light brown sugar

2 small apples or 1 large - Granny Smiths are great here

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp rum

2 sheets of frozen butter-puff pastry, thawed a wee bit

100g. marzipan - I used chocolate-coated!

2 Tbs apricot jam with a dash more vanilla and rum, for glazing

whipped cream, to serve

Method:

Grab a small mixing bowl, and stir the lemon juice and sugar together, then stir in the vanilla and rum

Peel, slice and roughly dice the apple(s) - sans core!

Mix the diced apple with the lemon juice mixture, and set aside till needed

Cut the marzipan into very thin slices

Cut each of the slightly-thawed sheets of pastry into quarters, and place them on a baking-paper-lined tray   see Notes 

Place marzipan slices down the centre of four of the pastry squares, leaving a 1cm gap around the edges

Take the drained apple, and place some on top of each of the marzipan-laced pastry squares

Fold the four remaining pastry squares in half length-wise

Then take a small, sharp knife and cut 4 or 5 (or 6) diagonal slits into the pastry   see the photos!

Unfold the pastry, so you end up with each square having two vertical ladders of several slits running down them

Firmly but carefully press one of the slitty squares over each of the appley squares, till you have formed a delicious little pocket of fruity, chocolate-marzipan pastry

Put 'em in the fridge for 20 minutes, then bake at 220C/430F for about 20 minutes till nicely golden

Put the jam, vanilla and rum into a small saucepan, heat gently till smooth, then brush over the tops of the tarts

Serve with whipped cream if you fancy

Notes:

Keep the pastry cold, and only take it out of the fridge when you're going to use it as it can be very difficult to handle when completely thawed

where's the marzipan? :=)

squeeeeze that lemon

and dice that apple

find that marzipan

and slice it thinly

place the marzipan slices over the pastry squares

diced apple goes over the marzipan; add the slits to the tops of the folded pastry

fold the pastry in half, and add the diagonal slits

unfold the pastry; place the tops over the apple filling

golden, crunchy, and chocolatey

let 'em cool on the rack

and eat happily, pastry flakes a-flying

black swan at Oxenford (image by EllieRH)

c. Sherry M.

Joining up with Min from Write of the Middle blog #WWWhimsy