Method

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease a 24 cm springform baking tin.

Filling

Place the apples, sugar, rosemary, spices and lemon rind in a large saucepan and cook on medium to high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Turn the apples so that they cook evenly. Set aside to cool and remove the lemon rind and cloves (and the rosemary sprig, if used).

Pastry

Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale yellow and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the polenta, sift the flour and the salt over the mixture and beat until the dough comes together. Add water only if necessary. Place the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

To Assemble

Divide the dough into two-thirds and one-third. Roll out the bigger portion to 3–4 mm in thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap or on a lightly floured surface. Line a 24cm spring-form tin with the dough and place the apples snugly into the pastry shell. Roll out the remaining dough and cut hearts into the dough using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Arrange them in circles starting from the outer edge, overlapping slightly and finishing in the centre.

Bake for about 45 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve with crème fraîche.