Name: Apple and honey tart with walnut crumb crust
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 100 gm honey, plus extra to serve; 500 gm softened cream cheese; 150 gm sour cream; 100 gm caster sugar; Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean; Finely grated rind of 1 lemon; 2 eggs; Walnut crumb crust; 100 gm walnuts; 220 gm digestive biscuits, coarsely crumbled; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 80 gm butter, melted; Honeyed apple; 120 gm honey; 40 ml dessert wine; Juice of ½ lemon; 2 pink lady apples, thinly sliced

Think of this as a sophisticated take on a baked cheesecake. Walnuts give texture to the crust, while caramelised honey adds depth of flavour to the filling.

Ingredients

100 gm honey, plus extra to serve

500 gm softened cream cheese

150 gm sour cream

100 gm caster sugar

Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

2 eggs

Walnut crumb crust

100 gm walnuts

220 gm digestive biscuits, coarsely crumbled

1 tsp ground cinnamon

80 gm butter, melted

Honeyed apple

120 gm honey

40 ml dessert wine

Juice of ½ lemon

2 pink lady apples, thinly sliced

Method

Main

1.Preheat oven to 180C. For walnut crumb crust, spread walnuts over an oven tray and roast, stirring occasionally, until golden (4-5 minutes), then transfer to a food processor. Add biscuits and cinnamon, and process to fine crumbs, then add butter and process to combine. Press into the base and up the sides of a 19cm x 27cm tart tin with a removable base (or use a 23cm-diameter tart tin, but there may be a little filling leftover) and refrigerate until firm (30 minutes). Bake until just crisp (12-15 minutes) and set aside.

2.Increase oven to 200C. Cook honey in a saucepan over medium-high heat until caramelised (2-3 minutes), then set aside to cool slightly. Beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla seeds, rind and honey in an electric mixer until fluffy (4-5 minutes). Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl between additions. Pour mixture over crumb base and bake until edges turn golden (4-5 minutes). Reduce oven to 120C and bake until firm (10-15 minutes). Turn off oven and cool completely (2-3 hours), then refrigerate until required.

3.For honeyed apple, heat honey in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until bubbling, add wine and lemon juice, and stir to combine. Add apple slices in a single layer and simmer until tender and translucent (4-5 minutes). Remove carefully with a slotted spoon, and reserve apples and syrup separately.

4.Top tart with honeyed apple, drizzle with honey syrup and serve with extra apple slices to the side. Tart is best eaten within a day or two.