Easy apple tarts

• flour↗

  for dusting

• 375g/13oz block dessert pastry
• ground almonds↗2 tbsp tbsp
• golden caster sugar↗3 tbsp tbsp
• eating apples3

  peeled, cored and halved, then each half thinly sliced

• butter↗50g g
• icing sugar↗

  to serve (optional)

• vanilla ice cream

  to serve

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to a rectangle about the size of this magazine and trim the edges to neaten. Place the pastry on a baking sheet and scatter with the almonds and 1 tbsp sugar. Score perforated lines to make 6 equal-size sections (this will make the tart easier to cut). Arrange each half of apple, sliced, in its own section of pastry. Can be made up to this stage the night before, covered with cling film and chilled in the fridge.

2. 2

   Scatter the remaining sugar over the apples, dot with butter, then bake for 50-55 mins until the pastry is biscuity brown and the apples are tinged and soft. Cut the tart into 6 squares, dust with icing sugar, if you like, and serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.