Serves 4
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min

Ingredients
Flour for dusting
250g puff pastry
1 tsp cooking oil
1 lemon
4-8 Cox’s apples
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp caster sugar

Method
Heat the oven to its highest setting: probably 475F/240C/gas mark 9. Dust a suitable flat surface with flour and roll out the puff pastry very, very thinly. Cut out four circles using a saucer as a guide. Sprinkle a little water on an oiled baking sheet and lay out the circles of pastry. Lightly prick the pastry all over with the tines of a fork to stop it rising as it cooks and pushing off the apples. Squeeze the lemon juice into a mixing bowl. Peel, core and slice the apples into thin segments directly into the lemon juice to stop discolouration.

Leaving a 1cm border, cover the pastry with apple slices in overlapping concentric circles. Dredge lavishly with sugar. Place the baking sheet in the hot oven and cook for 10-20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden and the apples tender and scorched in places. Serve hot, warm or cold with thick cream or vanilla ice cream.

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