Apple Tart with Lavender Cream

I didn’t go visiting the famous lavender fields when I went to Norfolk but I did buy a lavender plant and some lavender honey, oh and I did mange to get this shot of Murphy playing camouflage behind the huge lavender bush in our holiday cottage.

I had a huge glut of apples sitting in my fruit bowl and apple with lavender is a match made in Heaven. I decided to use a Jamie Oliver recipe for an apple tart but instead of buying ready made pastry I made my own. This is the point at which I must make it clear, patience is a virtue … if you don’t wait for the pastry to chill properly you end up with apple crisp! The pastry doesn’t rise but forms a crisp disc, very delicious all the same but not exactly apple tart.

I used eating apples as I hadn’t any Bramley apples, but they worked a treat. The best bit however was the layer of apple puree, so very delicious, in fact next time I will double the quantity of it.

The lavender honey cream was so light and refreshing, perfect against the tartness of the apples. People often assume that using lavender will make the dish taste soapy and overly perfumed but used sparingly it lends a gentle sweetness, a taste of summer.