Apple and Cashew Cream Tart- vegan, no cane sugar

My husband makes great flan pastry- it's short, crumbly and light. He also is a whiz at stuff like cashew cream. His formula is very simple: pastry +"cream" + fruit = pie heaven; and it works beautifully! Today (Friday) was miserable; a couple of inches of slushy wet snow on the ground and a bitingly cold wind; not the sort of day to be out on a Warwickshire hillside on a farm visit with a class of 7 year-olds! (One of them declared this strange season to be called "Sprinter": no longer Winter, but certainly not Spring yet.) Anyhow, chilled to the marrow,  I walked in through our front door this afternoon to a delicious warm baking aroma and a smug-looking husband; I peeked inside the oven and was totally blown away by what I saw inside; a beautiful-looking apple tart!  Later on when we ate it, I also came to appreciate how apples and dates go together so perfectly (date syrup is the sweetener here). I wrote down the recipe as he told it, all ready to share with the world, so here it is:

The creamy, sweet filling will ooze out just a little when the tart is cut...

Pastry:

50ml water
2 tabs plain white flour
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
100ml cold-pressed sunflower oil
200g wholemeal flour
a further 200g plain white flour

• In your food processor, blend the 50ml of water with the 2 tabs plain white flour, then add the oils.
• Mix in the flours and just enough water to form a ball.
• Chill it in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Cashew Cream:

200g cashews

50ml water

100ml date syrup

• In your blender/ food processor, grind the cashews to a fine powder.
•  Add the water and date syrup, mixing well.

Apple topping:

1/2kg apples

• Slice the apples about 4-5mm thick and cook in just enough water to soften them, so that all the water gets absorbed.

To assemble and bake:

• Oil a loose-bottomed 10" flan dish and roll out/ press the pastry into it. (If the pastry is hard to handle just press in evenly and not too thick or thin.)
• Pour in the cashew cream and spread over the pastry.
• Lay the apple slices neatly on top, tarte tatin -style.
• Bake in an oven preheated to 200C for about 20 minutes, until the pastry and the apples are just starting to brown at the edges.
• Allow to cool before serving- that is, if you can wait that long!

Try making this as a dessert to go with soya fricassee for a French-influenced dining experience with a healthy vegan twist!

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