Apple Breton Cake

Breton base:

• 250g butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1 tsp natural vanilla essence 
• 1 tbsp iced water 
• 4 egg yolks 
• 3 cups flour 
• 1 egg yolk for glaze 

 Filling:

• 8 large green apples, or use 5 apples and 5 feijoas 
• sugar to taste (about ½ cup) ¼ cup water

Beat butter and sugar together until very fluffy. Beat in vanilla and water and add egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each one. Stir in flour until just combined; do not beat.

Press two-thirds of the pastry into a 26cm springform tin, covering base and two-thirds up sides. Roll out remaining pastry on a sheet of greaseproof paper the same diameter as the tin. Put prepared pastry in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes while preparing the filling.

Peel and slice apples and feijoas, if using, and place in a pot with sugar and water. Bring to a simmer over very low heat and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has evaporated. If the fruit is still quite liquid place in a strainer - it's important that the fruit is very dry otherwise the pastry will sog. Allow to cool completely before filling into the pastry shell.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Spread fruit evenly into pastry shell. Flip the prepared pastry lid on top, lifting off paper and pressing edges together to seal. Brush with beaten egg yolk and run the tines of a fork in a criss-cross pattern over the pastry to decorate. Bake until golden, about 45-50 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Cake slices well and will keep 2-3 days in the fridge.