It’s a classic dessert favourite, and British apple season makes it the perfect time to try this great recipe 

Apple season is here! With such a massive variety of taste and texture on offer – there are more than 7,000 varieties – there’s something to suit everyone. So, as the nights draw in why not indulge in this glorious, sticky sweet toffee-topped classic…

Ingredients

• 300g all-butter puff pastry
• 2lb of dessert apples (Cox or Braeburn are usually considered best), peeled, cored and quartered
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 60g of diced, chilled unsalted butter
• 25g melted unsalted butter
• Plain flour

Method

Roll the pastry to a 3mm-thick round and cut a 24cm circle, using a plate as a guide. Lightly prick with a fork, wrap in cling film on a baking sheet and then freeze while preparing the apples.

Add the sugar to either a flameproof 20cm ceramic dish or a heavy-based, oven-proof frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. Cook for five minutes or so, until the sugar turns a dark amber caramel syrup that’s starting to smoke. Turn off the heat and stir in the diced chilled butter.

Arrange the apple quarters very tightly in a circle around the edge of the dish, rounded-side down, then fill in the middle in a similar fashion. Gently press so there are no gaps then brush with the melted butter.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/160C fan for 30 minutes, then remove and top with the disc of frozen puff pastry. As it thaws, tuck the edges down the inside of the dish and, with a knife, prick a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake for a further 40 to 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.

Allow to cool to room temperature before running a knife around the edge of the dish and turning over on to a serving plate that is deep enough to contain the juices.

Serve with a high quality ice cream of your choice (can’t beat vanilla!).