If you ever get invited to Elizabeth Dunphy’s house for dinner, make sure you leave space for dessert. The pastry sous chef at The Bishop’s Buttery at Cashel Palace in Co Tipperary is this year’s Euro-Toques Rising Pastry Chef of the Year, having beaten off competition from finalists working in some of Ireland’s top kitchens.
Her winning dish was apple caramel tart, which she has helpfully adapted here for the home chef, with a warning to make the caramel mousse last. This is so you can pour the mousse directly into the tart shell while smooth, ensuring a clean, even cut once set.
“The key ingredient for the competition was cissy apples from The Apple Farm in Tipperary, and I wanted to showcase the apples in all their facets,” says Dunphy. “This is why I used both the fruit and the apple juice. The following recipe is easy to make and will impress your guests, using a simple but delicious Irish ingredient.”
Apple caramel tart
You will need:
- 8” springform tart tin
- Rolling pin
- Baking beans/rice
- Blender
- Electric hand whisk
- Thermometer
- Baking tray
- Spatula
- Pastry brush
- Peeler
- Sieve
- Piping bags
Almond sable ingredients
- 100g unsalted butter
- 100g brown sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 112g plain flour
- 100g ground almond
- 2 small eggs
- Pinch of salt
- 40g white chocolate
Almond sable method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Incorporate all the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
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Prepare an 8-inch springform tart tin by lightly spraying it with pan spray; if you don’t have pan spray, grease the tin with butter and dust it with a little flour.
Roll out the almond sable between two sheets of parchment paper to a 10-inch circle about ¼ inch thick. Peel off the top sheet of parchment and place the sable into the tart tin, pressing gently into the sides, then chill for another five minutes.
To blind bake, line the pastry with a 10-inch round of parchment paper and fill it with baking beans or uncooked rice to help the sides hold their shape. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden, then remove the beans and parchment and bake for a further four minutes, noting that times may vary depending on your oven. Allow the tart shell to cool completely.
Melt the chocolate and brush it over the cooled pastry base to stop the apple filling from soaking into the shell.
Roasted Apple ingredients
- 510g The Apple Farm cissy red apple (skin off)
- 45g butter
- 35g brown sugar
- ½ vanilla bean
Roasted Apple Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C. Wash, peel, and core the apples, then cut them into small pieces. Place all the ingredients in a pan and roast for about 15 minutes. Stir and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft. You should be able to squash them easily with a spoon. Blend the mixture until smooth while the apples are still hot, as this will help them blend more quickly. Transfer the purée to a piping bag and chill before using it to fill the tart shell.
Apple curd ingredients
- 50ml apple juice
- ½ lemon juice
- ½ gelatine sheet
- 1 egg
- 7g egg yolk
- 20g sugar
- 20g butter
Apple curd method
Bloom the gelatine by placing the sheets in a bowl of very cold water. Let them sit for about five minutes until soft, then squeeze out the excess water and discard it. In a saucepan, heat the apple juice, lemon juice and sugar. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and yolks, then temper them by slowly pouring in the hot liquid while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the heat and cook until it reaches 83°C, checking with a thermometer.
Remove from the heat and blend in the butter using a hand blender. (If you don’t have one, whisk the butter in by hand until fully melted and incorporated.) Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean pan, then cover the surface directly with cling film to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until set, then transfer to a piping bag.
Caramel mousse ingredients
- 9g gelatine sheets
- 339g mascarpone
- 150g caramel chocolate
- 30g icing sugar
- 75g apple juice (Cissy red apples)
- 375g cream (semi-whipped)
Caramel mousse method
Bloom the gelatine by placing the sheets in a bowl of very cold water. Let them sit for about five minutes until soft, then squeeze out the excess water and discard it. Semi-whip the cream and place it in the fridge to keep cool. In a mixing bowl, combine the mascarpone and icing sugar until smooth.
Melt the chocolate and add it to the mascarpone mixture in three stages, mixing well each time to help it incorporate evenly. Heat the apple juice and add the bloomed gelatine, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Gradually add this mixture to the mascarpone base, mixing gently until fully combined.
Finally, fold in the semi-whipped cream and pour the mousse directly into the tart shell. Refrigerate until fully set before topping with whipped cream.
Whipped cream ingredients
- 300g cream
- 30g icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla paste
Whipped cream method
Using an electric whisk, whip all the ingredients together until soft peaks form; the cream should hold the shape of the whisk slightly without becoming too stiff. Use this to top the tart once assembled.
To assemble
Place the tart shell on a serving plate. Pipe the roasted apple filling evenly into the shell, then pour the caramel mousse over the apples and allow it to set completely.
Once set, top with whipped cream. You can either spoon it on or pipe it using a piping bag fitted with your preferred nozzle. Pipe small dots of apple curd over the cream and garnish with fresh blackberries.
When ready to serve, use a hot knife to cut the tart; this will give you clean, neat slices.
Elizabeth Dunphy is a member of Euro-Toques Ireland, a community of chefs, cooks, and food producers dedicated to preserving the integrity and authenticity of Irish culinary traditions. Founded in 1986, the organisation promotes seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and supports sustainable food practices through advocacy, education and events. Its members champion food culture rooted in quality, provenance and respect for producers, while mentoring the next generation of chefs to carry these values forward
