Finnish apple tart with vanilla sauce

 

I have no precise reason why, during the almost two years of blogging, I still haven't shared a recipe for this classic Finnish apple tart. This is one of my mum's favourites and needless to say I grew up with her version of this treat. I have opted for a few healthy amendments on the original recipe, and used whole spelt flour (instead of plain white), raw caster sugar and rapadura sugar and olive oil instead of butter. 

The outcome is a wholesome and tasty dessert that brings back many wonderful memories from my childhood. The smell, the flavour and the taste took me right back in to my home town, and into mum's kitchen. Savoured with the traditional Finnish vanilla sauce, similar to a vanilla custard, this is a real treat on a beautiful winter's day.

Finnish apple tart with vanilla sauce

2 large, free-range eggs

100g raw caster sugar

120g whole spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

75ml milk

50ml olive oil

2 apples, cut in half and thinly sliced

1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1-2 teaspoons rapadura sugar

Vanilla sauce

1 large, free-range egg yolk

200ml milk

2 teaspoons raw, natural vanilla sugar

1 teaspoon potato starch

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and grease a round 26 cm pie dish.

2. Beat the eggs and the sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Combine the flour and the baking powder in a bowl. Sift the flour into the egg mixture and fold to combine.

4. Fold in the milk and the oil and pour the dough into the pie dish.

5. Arrange the apple slices on top of the dough and sprinkle with ground cinnamon and rapadura sugar. 

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

7. For the vanilla sauce, whisk the egg yolk in a small saucepan. Whisk in all other ingredients and place the saucepan on the heat. Whisking continuously on a low heat, let the sauce heat up until thickened. Serve the sauce with the apple tart.