Recipe: How to make apple and almond tart

Food writer John Duxbury shares the steps for making this tart's buttery pastry case, soft almond filling, and thin crisp toffee-apple and almond topping.

Recipe: How to make apple and almond tart
Apple cake. Photo: John Duxbury/Swedish Food

The Swedish name of this tart (Äppeltårta med mandelfyllning och tosca) translates as ‘apple tart with almond filling and tosca’. Tosca refers to the fact that the topping is based on the topping from Toscakaka, a Swedish cake created in honour of Puccini’s opera.

Based on a recipe by Maud Onnermark.


Serves: 10-12

Difficulty level: Moderate

Preparation time: 25 minutes (plus time for the pastry to chill)

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Total: 60 minutes


. The tart looks more attractive when made with red-skinned apples. Swedes like to use Ingrid Marie, a variety popular in Scandinavia, but other varieties that work well include Aroma, Frida, and Discovery.

. Liquid glucose (sometimes called glucose syrup) is widely available, although if you can’t find it you could substitute with corn syrup, but NOT glycerine, which is entirely different.



180 g (1 ¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

50 g (3 tbsp) caster (superfine) sugar

125 g (½ cup) butter, cut into small cubes

1 egg yolk


75 g (⅓ cup) butter, softened

100 g (⅝ cup) ground almonds

100 g (7 tbsp) caster (superfine) sugar

1 large egg

1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice

2-3 red-skinned apples


50 g (3tbsp) butter

1 tbsp flour

50 g (3 tbsp) caster (superfine) sugar

2 tbsp liquid glucose (glucose syrup)

50 g (½ cup) flaked (slivered) almonds


1. Make the pastry by putting the flour and sugar in a food processor and giving it a few whizzes. Add the butter and whizz for 10-15 seconds until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

2. Add the egg yolk and process for a further 20-30 seconds until the pastry clings together. (If it doesn't, add a teaspoon or two of cold water.)

3. Roll the pastry out and use it to line a 25 cm (10″) loose-based tart tin. Chill for 30 minutes.


5. Prick the base of the tart and bake for 12 minutes.

6. Whilst the case is baking, mix the butter for the filling with the ground almonds, caster sugar, a large egg and the zest from the lemon.

7. Put the lemon juice in a large bowl.

8. Core and slice the apples very thinly and toss the slices in the lemon juice to prevent them from going brown.

9. When the case is baked, spread the almond filling over the base and then top with the apple slices.

10. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes, until the filling is set.

11. Meanwhile, melt the butter for the topping and then stir in the flour, sugar, liquid glucose and flaked (slivered) almonds. Keep stirring the mixture on a low heat until it starts to simmer.

12. Spread the mixture over the filling and continue baking the tart for a further 10 minutes, until the topping is a light brown toffee colour.

Recipe published courtesy of John Duxbury, founder and editor of Swedish Food.

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