Apple Tarts with Vanilla Butterscotch Sauce

I think the title of this post says it all really. Apple tarts: crumbly, buttery, melt-in-the-mouth pastry topped with sweet, just softened apples and a hint of cinnamon. Butterscotch sauce: sweet, creamy, and flecked with tiny black vanilla seeds.

This isn't an exciting new combination or unusual recipe. It's a tried and tested combination - simple and delicious. 

Apple Tarts

Makes 6

250g puff pastry

2 apples - not cooking ones

30g butter, melted

40g brown sugar

pinch of cinnamon

Vanilla Butterscotch Sauce

50g butter

50 soft light brown sugar

1 tbsp golden syrup

3 tbsp double cream

1/2 vanilla pod

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Roll out the puff pastry until it forms a rectangle about 35x25 cm long. Cut this rectangle into six pieces and place them on a baking tray. 

Cut the apples in half, and then into thin slices - you should get around 9 slices from each half. Mix together the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, and spoon about a 2 tsp of this mixture onto the centre of each puff pastry square. Arrange about 6 slices of apple on each square, then drizzle with a little more of the butter/sugar mixture. Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

For the sauce, slice the vanilla pod in half length ways and scrape out the seeds. Put the seeds and the pod into a small saucepan with all the other ingredients. Stir over a low heat until the butter is melted, then let it bubble for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod and serve.