Photo of Gypsy tart by WW

Gypsy tart

6
Points® value
Total Time
1 hr 5 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Serves
12
Difficulty
Easy
No need to shy away from the super-sweetness of this classic Kentish pud. It’s beautifully balanced by the tart acidity of crisp green apples

Ingredients

Light Evaporated Milk

160 ml

Ready rolled light shortcrust pastry sheets

275 g

Egg white, raw

1 individual, lightly whisked

Dark soft brown sugar

100 g

Apple

1 medium, green, cored and thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Before you start, make sure the evaporated milk is very cold. You can keep it in the fridge overnight or even better, in the freezer for a few hours until just starting to freeze but not completely frozen.
  2. Unroll the pastry and use it to line a 23cm round tart tin. Trim to fit the tin and patch any gaps – you’ll have around 100g pastry leftover. Prick the base with a fork then chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5 and place a baking tray on the centre shelf.
  3. Line the inside of the pastry case with baking paper and add baking beans. Place on the hot tray, transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and discard the paper and beans; then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until lightly golden. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg white and use to brush the inside of the baked tart case – this will seal any unseen holes and prevent the pastry from getting soggy when you add the filling. Allow to cool.
  4. Meanwhile, add the chilled evaporated milk and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together at a medium speed for 6-8 minutes, until the mixture is light brown in colour, and soft and billowy – it should resemble meringue.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the tart and use a spatula to smooth it over. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C, fan 130°C, gas 2 and bake for 20 minutes until set on top but still a little wobbly – don’t be tempted to over bake it as this can cause the tart to collapse.
  6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely, then chill in the fridge to firm it up. Decorate the top of the tart with the apple slices and serve.

Notes

The top of the tart will get tacky as it starts to cool, so try to avoid touching it for a perfect finish