German Tart

Both of my grans are excellent bakers. It’s a bit of a surprise that I’d not been taken under their wings and moulded into a baker at a much earlier age. As I’m slowly learning how to bake in my late 20’s, I have a few ideas of my own as to why I was never encouraged, especially in my parents kitchen.

When I started baking, I always ended up using a lot of dishes. As you can imagine, cups, pots, bowls, pans, teaspoons, measuring cups, whisks, knives, forks and tasting spoons would be piled into the sink or gradually clutter the counter space. This problem of using every dish in the kitchen has started to get better, but the neat freaks in my family would never have managed to with stand this ‘beginners’ stage.

Baking also requires a lot of patience, something I’m yet to master. I recall my one gran teaching me how to make biscuits, but all I wanted was to be at the end of the process so I could ‘test’ them out.  Even now, when I take baked goods out the oven, my worst part is waiting for whatever has come out the oven to cool down. My first attempt at lemon meringue pie ended up a flop because I didn’t let it cool down properly!

Luckily though, both sides of my family have a natural flare and talent in the kitchen; whether baking or cooking. I’ve been fortunate enough to have that natural ability too (if I say so myself)… so I’ve caught on to baking quite well.

This German tart recipe is Granny Deane’s old and loved recipe. Although it is daunting to take on my gran’s signature baking dish, my first attempt was a success! It’s a lovely simple and easy recipe to follow that not only doesn't require much time, I also didn't need to dirty every dish in the kitchen either!  

Enjoy one of my family’s favourites.

Ingredients

1 Tin Apple pieces

½ Cup White sugar

4 Ozs Margarine

2 Cups Cake Flour

2 rounded tsp Baking Powder

1 egg

1 tsp Vanilla essence

A pinch of salt

½ Tsp Cinnamon (optional)

½ tsp Nutmeg (optional)

Instruction:

1.       Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2.       Cream sugar and margarine.

3.       Add well beaten egg and vanilla essence.

4.       Sift in flour, salt and baking powder and mix well.

5.       Knead the dough to make pliable.

6.       Press into tart dish.

7.       Fill the tart with apple pieces (you can sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg with the apple pieces).

8.       Use some of the juices from the

9.       Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.