Italian Desserts Recipes - Apple and Lemon Flan (Crostata di Mele e Limone) Recipe

Ingredients                               

• 2 apples, grated

• Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

• 225 g/8 oz short crust pastry (basic pie crust)

• 3 eggs, beaten

• 75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup unsalted (sweet) butter, softened

• 75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar

• 120 ml/1/2 cup double (heavy) cream, whipped, to decorate

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Method:

1. Mix the apple with the lemon rind and juice to prevent browning. Roll out the pastry and line a 25 cm/10 in flan tin (pie pan).

2. Prick the base with a fork and place a sheet of greaseproof (waxed) paper in the pastry case.

3. Scatter with dried peas or baking beans and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the paper and beans and bake the pastry for a further 5 minutes to dry out the base.

5. Add the beaten eggs, butter and sugar to the apples and beat well.

6. Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake in the oven at 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3 for 20 minutes until set.

7. Allow to cool. Pipe with the whipped cream to decorate.