Eighteenth-century Creamed Apple Flan

This recipe is a nostalgic one for me as it's one of the first I tried after some research into eighteenth-century British cooking at the British Museum, and it prompted me to do a whole lot more.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Another lovely recipe for using up apples is Delia's English Apple Pie, and you can watch it being made in our video. Just press the recipe image to play.

This recipe is from The Delia Collection: Puddings. Serves 6

method
Ingredients

Method

Mix the pastry by rubbing the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Then add 1-2 teaspoons of water to make a dough that leaves the bowl clean. Pop the pastry into a polythene bag and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface and use to line the tart tin. Prick the base all over with a fork and brush with one of the egg yolks. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the sliced apples in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water and cook gently until they are pulpy. Transfer the fluffy purée to a large mixing bowl.

Now crush the biscuits – the best way to do this is to lay them flat inside a polythene bag then roll them with a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs. Add the butter and the caster sugar into the apple purée, followed by the lemon zest, crushed biscuits, remaining 4 egg yolks, double cream, brandy and a good grating of nutmeg then whisk everything together thoroughly.

Pour the whole lot into the partly cooked flan case, then bake in the oven for a further 30 minutes until it's springly to touch in the centre. Allow to cool, then chill for a couple of hours in the fridge before serving, dusted with icing sugar, and some chilled pouring cream.

How about trying another traditional apple recipe? See Delia's Perfect Apple Pie in our Online Cookery School Video on this page.