This is quick and easy-to-make dessert which happens to be incredibly delicious at the same time. It is based on a recipe from Frank Camorra’s wonderful Spanish cookbook „Movida Rustica“, but I skipped a few steps like making the dough from scratch being a bit lazy at the time (yes, it happens). Frank Camorra also intended the cake to be drizzled with syrup. Instead, I opted for a flan as I had just made a syrup-soaked cake a weak earlier and wanted a change. So, with all honesty, it is really not at all Frank Camorra’s apple cake anymore…

If you are feeling a bit less lazy than I was at the time that I made the tartlets I recommend making a proper shortcrust pastry for cake bottom. I feel it might still be an improvement to the otherwise perfectly delicious flavor of these mini-cakes.

Sanni

Ingredients (for 2 tartlets):

• 50 to 60 grams of crunchy musli or digestive biscuits
• 20 grams of butter
• 2 apples (use a variation with a sweet and tart taste such as Jazz or Braeburn)
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 80 grams of caster sugar
• 1 shot of calvados
• 100 grams of cream
• 1 medium egg
• some drops of vanilla extract
• For the decoration: 1 tablespoon of almond slices, a teaspoon of butter

Preparation:

1. Place musli or biscuits in a freezer bag and beat them with a rolling pin (or anything comparable) until they turn into a (not too fine) powder.
2. Melt 50 grams of the butter in a small pot. Add the musli/biscuit bits and mix well.
3. Press the mixture evenly into the bottoms of 2 small tartlet molds (diameter 10 to 11 cm).
4. Peel and core the apples. Cut each apple into eights.
5. Place apples into a saucepan, cover with lemon juice and zest. Add 50 grams of the sugar, the spices and the calvados.
6. Cover and simmer on medium heat for approximately 25 minutes until the apples are soft.
7. Let cool down a bit, then arrange on top of the cake bottoms.
8. Pre-heat the oven at 160 degrees Celsius (fan oven).
9. In the meantime, make a flan base by mixing the egg, cream, the remaining sugar and vanilla extract. Do not beat it too much in order not to turn the mixture foamy.
10. Pour the mixture over the apples until well covered.
11. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for approximately 25 minutes.
12. Let cool down a bit. Brown the almond slices in the butter. Use a non-stick frying pan and medium heat.
13. Sprinkle the almond slices over the tartlets. Serve luke-warm.