fruit

toffee apple tart

servings
6-8

method

This is a fantastic dessert that I love to make for friends as they can’t get enough of it. The combination of toffee and apples is a fairground classic but feel free to try it with pears, bananas, even strawberries.

Put your unopened tins of condensed milk in a high-sided pan, covered with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer constantly for about 3 hours with a lid on top. It’s very important to remember to keep checking the pan, as you don’t want it to boil dry – otherwise the tins will explode. It will give you the most amazing toffee. Put the tins to one side and allow to cool.

First of all you need to make your pastry. Score down the length of the vanilla pod, if using, and remove the seeds by scraping a knife down the inside of each half (keep the pod for making vanilla sugar). Cream together the butter, icing sugar and salt and then rub in the flour, vanilla seeds, lemon zest and egg yolks – you can do all this by hand or in a food processor. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, add the cold milk or water. Pat and gently work the mixture together until you have a ball of dough, then flour it lightly and roll it into a large sausage shape – don’t work the pastry too much otherwise it will become too elastic and chewy, not flaky and short as you want it to be. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for at least an hour. Remove it from the fridge, slice it up and line a 28cm/11 inch tart mold with the slivers. Push them together, then tidy up the sides by trimming off any excess. Place the tart mold into the freezer for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Take the pastry case out of the freezer and bake blind in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Peel and quarter the apples and remove the cores, then slice finely and toss in the icing sugar. Remove the pastry base from the oven and smear the caramel from both tins of condensed milk over it. Place the apples on top and pour any remaining juices over. Cook at the bottom of the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, to give you a crispy base and bubbling toffee over the apples. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Beautiful!

• from Jamie's Dinners

ingredients

• optional: 1 vanilla pod
• 125g/4½oz butter
• 100g/3¾oz icing sugar
a small pinch of salt
• 255g/9oz flour
• zest of ½ a lemon
• 2 egg yolks, preferably free-range or organic
• 2 tablespoons cold milk or water

for the filling
• 2 x 397g tins of condensed milk or 2 jars of Merchant Gourmet Dulce de Leche toffee
• 4 medium-sized cooking apples
• 2 heaped tablespoons icing sugar

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tried this recipe or a similar one? share your tips...

1. by Vero on Thu 20 Oct 2011 @ 15:44

The Toffee Tart is a very well known dessert in Argentina, home of the Dulce de Leche! Never tried it with apples though, but I will!l :)

2. by mango on Thu 20 Oct 2011 @ 11:33

Alternatively you can buy cans of dulce la leche which is the same thing. BUT beware of the corn syrup !!!!!!!

3. by Kabelo on Thu 20 Oct 2011 @ 10:17

I' giong to try this out.

4. by swilkes on Wed 18 Nov 2009 @ 11:56

In answer to Jig I have made this tart twice and on both occasions I have sliced it up and frozen the excess slices (as there is only two of us and even we couldn't eat a whole one) and have since eaten them and not had any adverse effects

5. by jig on Fri 25 Sep 2009 @ 16:48

lovely recipe. can it be frozen once cooked and cooled down?

6. by Jilly on Fri 12 Jun 2009 @ 11:49

Very sickly but absolutely delicious. Make sure you boil the condensed milk long enough to get the really rich caramel taste. My mum made it as well but her caramel wasn't as nice as mine :). As it takes a long time to make the caramel I usually boil about 5 or 6 tins at once in a soup pan and store the rest in the cupboard for another time, they keep in the tin forever (and I live in the Netherlands so it is possible using Dutch condensed milk). I really like the taste of the lemon in the pastry. A big favorite with everyone I've made it for... but make sure you don't serve too heavy a dish before it!

7. by Lily and Victoria on Thu 28 May 2009 @ 18:18

LOVE IT!!!! sooo yummy with strawberries, bananas and apples :)
we'll definately make it again

8. by milchmaedchen on Thu 26 Mar 2009 @ 14:07

milchmaedchen 2 std "kochen"

9. by natalie on Sun 01 Mar 2009 @ 21:50

The dessert was amazing and really simple, it may take a while to cook the condensed milk but it is so worth it. One of the best desserts i have ever made

10. by Wendy on Thu 19 Feb 2009 @ 20:38

I had a tin of condensed milk in the cupboard which was starting to irritate me as I didn't know what to do with it, nor why I bought it. After a quick internet search, I found this recipe and made it today. Superb - the most delicious thing we've had in ages. Thanks very much.

11. by ArgentinaGra on Thu 12 Feb 2009 @ 13:20

Hi guys!
Being from Argentina I was very happy to find a recipe with "dulce de leche".. or caramel.. toffe.. whatever you call this wonderful sweet.
In case you took the time and effort to make your own, please try it with creps!
We call that "panqueques con dulce de leche", it´s just a french style pan cake (or crep). Make a few and keep them warm, spread some caramel on the surface of each crep, roll them up and sink in!! delicious :)

12. by juliet on Sun 11 Jan 2009 @ 16:22

I have just made this. It tasted good but the toffee - used the Merchant Gourmet one - went incredibly runny almost to the point of being watery? Why? Interestingly enough, there is no mention of baking the pastry blind in the actual recipe book.0

13. by mamafox on Sun 04 Jan 2009 @ 13:04

made it twice. just way toooo sweet can we do something about it?

14. by Danny E on Thu 01 Jan 2009 @ 17:25

Made this yesterday, was absolutely gorgeous. Will definitely be making it again. Thanks Jamie!

15. by Elly in Cambridgeshire on Fri 12 Dec 2008 @ 04:22

This toffee is amazing for banoffee pie too......providing you are careful the tins will not explode. Done this many times.

16. by mceleste on Thu 11 Dec 2008 @ 17:19

That toffee is called Dulce De Leche in Argentina. Is an easy way to make it with condensed milk and many Argentinians outside the country make it in that way.

17. by Savannah on Sat 29 Nov 2008 @ 16:31

Funnily enough,
I made this recipe earlier today.
It took a lot of preparation but it was
worth it.
I added cinammon to to the apple as well
as icing sugar.
I used self raising flour instead of plain flour
which wasn't the best idea as the tart was larger then I expected when
it was drawn out of the oven.
But yes,it's delicious.

18. by laura on Wed 15 Oct 2008 @ 22:00

Looks gorgeous! shall be making this!
x

19. by charl swee on Tue 14 Oct 2008 @ 11:55

Hi jamie i am a year 11 student studing food tech i was searching your recipie page and noticed this gawjus fantastic toffee apple tart ... i produced this recipie for my gcse's and i got a A* thanks for you jamie xx just give us a bell anytime 07946095212 xxxx from charlotte abd spider ;)

20. by Laura Ryan on Mon 13 Oct 2008 @ 13:41

That looks delicous.
:)

21. by carlotta on Thu 09 Oct 2008 @ 12:36

Hi Jamie, here's carlotta, from Italy, Milan. I was traveling in the net when I stumbled in your blog.. I'm not a cooker at all, but I really love eating and.. How beautiful is your blog! I was looking for a recipe containing condensed milk, because I run a blog in Milan, that talks about condensed milk (latte condensato in italian) and memories and curiosity about food, music, cinema and all italian syles. I wanted to publish in the home page your TOFEE APPLE TART recipe, if you don't mind, in the heading "condensed recipe". If you want, you can have a look to my blog, www.lattecondensato.com/it/ and decide about it.. Or dedicate me a particular (and easy) recipe with condensed milk! :)
thank you very much
good luck
:) carlotta

22. by The Cook\\\'s Cat on Sun 28 Sep 2008 @ 21:26

Surely you need to cook the tart on a higher heat than gas mark 4 bottom of the oven? The juices from the apple and icing sugar should surely caremelise the surface of the apples. When I did it, the toffee didn't bubble and the apples looked a bit burnt and dry. Any advice?

23. by Clare on Sun 28 Sep 2008 @ 19:05

I've just tried making this for the second time and still can't get it right. I find the pastry case sinks back during the blind baking such that I end up with a soggy disk of pastry in the bottom of the tin and nothing round the sides. Has anyone else had this problem or know how I might be able to fix it?

24. by Denece on Tue 23 Sep 2008 @ 17:48

Hi Jamie. I'm from Georgia in the U.S. my family, kids included, love your show as well as your recipes. I want to make this tart, but came out to the page today and the ingredient list is gone except the vanilla pod. Please can you put it back out? A few of the other recipes seem to have the same problem. Hope you can fix it. Your new show sounds great. Hope we get it on Food Network. Thank You!!

25. by laura on Thu 04 Sep 2008 @ 09:10

hi Jamie, i am from Kazakhstan, I love watching ur cooking prgrams all the time. i think ur r great chef and person as well.... thanx

26. by Susan L. on Thu 24 Jul 2008 @ 02:23

Dulce de Leche

To caramelize milk, place unopened can of sweetened condensed milk upright in a saucepan at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) taller than the can. Pour enough water into saucepan to cover can by 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm). Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer gently for one and one half to 2 hours, checking periodically that the can is always covered with water. Simmering the sauce for two hours gives you a sauce you can drizzle over ice cream. For thicker sauce boil for three hours. I have always turned mine off and let it stand for one hour.
1. Remove can from water and let cool for at least another 15 minutes. Be careful opening, as the mixture will still be warm. Spoon what is now dulce de leche out of the can and reserve.
This sauce makes great turtle brownies....

I have always used this method to make this sauce and it works perfectly.

27. by Pear! on Thu 10 Jul 2008 @ 22:13

is there any other quicker way to make toffee?
i don't have that much time thru the day .. thanks

28. by Cath on Thu 10 Jul 2008 @ 15:45

Hi Liana
Yes it works with light condensed milk too - but try the ready done stuff - should be next to the condensed milk in the bigger supermarkets - lovely stuff!

29. by joe tindale on Fri 04 Jul 2008 @ 14:45

hi guys i foun this tart really nice .... making another batch of them tonight

30. by mollie marie m on Mon 30 Jun 2008 @ 21:38

HI ITS MOLLIE AGAIN! may i ask where the magange dish is?

31. by Liana Australia on Sat 21 Jun 2008 @ 07:47

I love caramel so want to try this (but have never boiled caramel over 1.5 hours before - especially with cooking further later - is 3 hours really necessary? Has anyone tried it with the light sweetened condensed milk? and to the people who commented the caramel is on top - it is just a photo mid prep - you can see the apples sitting to the side not yet added.

32. by liz on Thu 19 Jun 2008 @ 10:00

hi jamie im from singapore and my bf patty is fat (hahaha jk) but tonight we'll be making this lovely tart. except we're using store-bought frozen shortcrust pastry. the recipe here looks a bit time-consuming. hope it still turns out well the toffee idea is grrreat.

33. by Dippydancer on Mon 16 Jun 2008 @ 06:51

Thank you Jamie for inspiring me the other day when I was in a cooking competition, I was making pancakes with chocolate sauce, cream etc. and they turned out really badly! So me and my friend were left with a load of cream, melted chocolate and some vanilla I think, so I thourght 'What would Jamie do?' and I mixed them together, stuck it in the fridge and it became an amazing choclate mousse! AND It got through to the semi-finals!

34. by Cath on Tue 10 Jun 2008 @ 11:39

You can also buy already caramelized condensed milk - I think its made by Carnation. Takes the fuss and time out of boiling the cans! Can find it in most supermarkets.

35. by Ksenia on Sat 07 Jun 2008 @ 19:10

Hey from Russia!
I'm a huge fan of Jamie's recipes! This tart looks awesome and as I can see all these comments,it's not an easy one!So it's a challenge for me as I love to cook! I'll try to make it and see what will happen in my case!

36. by Antonia Bihan on Wed 04 Jun 2008 @ 01:46

Tuesday,June,03,2008, 8:47pm
Hi, I´m12 years old and love to cook!
I think you are the best chef, I have done 2 of your recipies all alone!, there were exeent and I didn´t have any mistake.................keep uploading recipies and I will keep cooking!

Anto xox

37. by Chloe-Jane on Tue 03 Jun 2008 @ 11:35

Well, I Made This Cake Yesturday For Family And Freind's Who Came Round In The Evaning, But Before They Came I Could Help Resist A Sneeky Bite, It's By Far The Best Tasting Cake That I Have Ever Made, It Toffie Was Sensational And I Used Alot Of It. I Think I Will Be Using This Recipe And Other Recipes From Jamie Oliver In The Future. I'd Say It Was Well Worth The Wait As It Did Take A While In The Oven. You Have Inspired Me To Cook More. Thankyou.

38. by The Lambinator on Sun 01 Jun 2008 @ 20:29

I made this yesterday, had some friends around for dinner 2 of whom used to run their own pub restaurant, both of whom were very impressed. This was lovely and so simple to do, whilst the heating of the milk takes 3 hours, you can do this at any time before hand and its fine, the other thing that I did is to part cook them so the apples did not turn brown. Well worth cooking and beautiful results.

39. by Clementina on Sun 01 Jun 2008 @ 16:10

HI!

You can shorten the boling time of the tins to 1 or 1 1/2 hrs if you use a pressure cooker :))
Seville, Spain

40. by shaun carrodus on Fri 30 May 2008 @ 00:43

oh yum was so easy to make time consuming yes but well its worth it he he i wanna make more toady it was so yummy try it with blueberries very yummy

41. by kate on Tue 13 May 2008 @ 06:45

hey! i've just begun my 1st yr chef's apprent. and was told that i would be put in charge of desserts within the month! i would also have to help make up the new winter desserts menu!! thanks for all your helpful hints and ideas found on ur web site!! lovin 'em...i've made a few of these recipes and they've all amazed me sooooo much, love your work!!

42. by may on Tue 06 May 2008 @ 08:24

raised the roof!!! jamie..

43. by may on Tue 06 May 2008 @ 08:23

raised the roof!!! jamie..

44. by maria on Tue 06 May 2008 @ 02:44

hi..jamie..i'm a big fan of your recipes..i'm a filipina..a maid here in singapore..and i have a british employer..every people have different taste buds..thats why i make some adjustment for my employer...he introduced me in your book called "jamies dinners" and he also admire your cooking abilities...i do also watching "travel and living...jamie at home"...so if i never catched up some ingredients i do search it thru internet...this toffee apple tart is a wonderful dessert..they do loved it!!!time consuming but its all worth it...i just wondering why its hard for the others to follow a simple instruction...keep it up!! jamie..

45. by colin masson on Thu 01 May 2008 @ 19:53

hi jamie
i am a 16 year old chef in training
a am wondering were the best place is to train to become a chef
a luved makin this dessert and it sold very well were i work

46. by Bani on Sun 30 Mar 2008 @ 02:23

I just made this with bananas instead of apples, and although everything went according to plan, it was disappointing because the bananas don't caramelize in the same way and I needed far more than 40 minutes to cook the pastry. Plus my toffee didn't melt or bubble either. But still worth the experience!

47. by caz on Sat 15 Mar 2008 @ 19:15

merchant gourment toffee is in tesco!!

48. by Irene on Fri 29 Feb 2008 @ 22:08

My mom and grandmom have been boiling away these tins for years. I love using this 'toffee' mixture as icing for chocolate cake. AMAZING.

49. by tasha on Sun 10 Feb 2008 @ 09:25

I also use this toffee for bonoffee pie. have done for 17 yrs. you only have to boil it for 2.5 hours but you need to keep topping it up with boiling water as it is the water that cooks the condensed milk. Also turn the can over half way through cooking, using a tea towel as it will be very hot! x

50. by Linda on Wed 23 Jan 2008 @ 15:06

kiki - you should look for SWEETENED condensed milk, not just condensed milk.. that's all the difference ;)

(the sweetened one doesn't look like milk in the first place)

51. by rebecca on Mon 31 Dec 2007 @ 04:26

sounds beautiful but i dont think i get enougth pocketmoney to try it! :P :)

52. by Rosa on Tue 25 Dec 2007 @ 20:15

Ps, in the Netherlands you can buy dulce de leche at Jumbo, it's called something like 'my grandmother's' You can look on the internet, they have an internetsite.

53. by Rosa on Tue 25 Dec 2007 @ 20:09

You see the toffee on the top, because the apples aren't done yet at the photo;)They lay still next to the tart. It's delicious! I made it today, for christmas. Everyone loved it!

54. by tan on Thu 20 Dec 2007 @ 20:03

William, your just a SAP!! go import some vanila pods u sapling. Fennande, do you even know the meaning of sarcasm...here it is...You are not a SAP...there's the sarcasm for you.
I LOVE THIS DISH, u people talking about it is ruining the dish for me. So just bog off u saps.
Spiggin idiots.

55. by fennande on Tue 18 Dec 2007 @ 14:51

Well William, I could send you some if you need. Maybe you can let me know where to buy Nestle Caramel in Holland, since you sound .. a bit... sarcastic?

56. by William on Tue 04 Dec 2007 @ 13:29

yeah you can't get vanillia pods here......in china

57. by fennande on Mon 03 Dec 2007 @ 11:40

Nestlé Caramel is unfortunately not available in Holland... This weekend I made the tart, but it was a bit of a disappointment. The toffee didn't melt at all, so no bubbling toffee, but a mess on the tart. And the toffee still tasted a bit like the old-fashioned schoolmilk... Not a big succes after all. to bad...

58. by Mikey on Sun 02 Dec 2007 @ 13:27

This a time consuming dish but the time is worth it. As a short cut use the Nestle Caramel (saves you three hours!)I put the apples on top, dont forget to coat the apples with the icing sugar in a seperate plate before hand and let it sit for a minute. You get this great juice. Arrange the apples on top and pour the remaing apple juices on top. The sugary apples and juice will caramelize in the oven. After its browned in the oven let it cool for 10 minutes (this allows the caramel to reform). Its very rich so you dont have to serve big portions, great with icecream.

59. by Mette on Sat 01 Dec 2007 @ 18:04

I tried this recipe.. but indeed, as Fennande said, the pic shows the toffee to be on top.. I thought myself it might melt in the oven, cause the recipe also says that when you take it out, the toffee should be covering the apples. My toffee doesnt! and it's more of a pudding than a toffee... I'm wondering if I've used the right milk...

60. by raffaella on Fri 30 Nov 2007 @ 20:03

sei un cuoco che si diverte a vivere la cucina e grazie a questo sei riuscito a trasmettermi la curiosità di sperimentare cose nuove (naturalmente riferite alla cucina)che, da buona italiana mostro sempre diffidenza verso le spezie orientali,le creme francesi ed i pasticci inglesi grazie e traduci il sito in italiano

61. by fennande on Thu 29 Nov 2007 @ 10:02

hi,
I didn't really believe, that three hours would make this lovely toffee, but it did! tomorrow i'll make the apple tart. One question, in the recipe it says that you put the apples on top, but the picture shows the caramel on top? anyone?
thanks, fennande, amsterdam

62. by cuddles on Fri 23 Nov 2007 @ 13:46

Sounds fabulous like all Jamies stuff, but I am really worried about boiling tins unopened, in case they explode. Sounds very risky!

63. by Shawn on Thu 22 Nov 2007 @ 13:34

Lovely recipe. I've been making caramel this way for years but never thought to make a tart out of it as it always disappears too quickly to be used in separate recipes. Ill have to make it next time the house is empty.

64. by abrafi on Mon 19 Nov 2007 @ 18:48

i love your cooking been to restraunt from st john baptist school

65. by Annika on Thu 08 Nov 2007 @ 05:06

Well I'm "J-OL's" very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very, huge fan. I love all his stuff as its easy-peasy! I love experimenting and as I say the kitchen is my lab I'm syre its his too. This recipe does appear to be a task but I think I wouldn't have a problem if I go according to his word as its never wrong. I'm only 15 years at the moment but i have lready done most of his dishes from his cook books. I also follow his podcasts and videos not to forget his DVDs. I love them all. So on the whole.....I wouldn't mind this recipe as a challenge is good!

66. by rene on Tue 23 Oct 2007 @ 17:48

kiki, it has to be sweetened condensed milk, not just condensed milk. It's the sugar in the sweetened version that thickens it.

67. by kiki on Sun 07 Oct 2007 @ 10:40

I'm a big fan Jamie, but this tart really has me stewed. I'm now on my 3rd attempt to make the toffee this weekend. The first 2 times yielded cans of a lovely light brown colored milk, but no lovely, gooey toffee (this despite cooking the 2nd batch for nearly 5 hrs, and yes I'm using condensed milk). I am also now seeing that the copy of the book I have shows that only 5 tablespoons of butter are needed for the crust, not the 9 that is written here. I hope I can eventually get this right, else you owe me a tart :-) !!!!

68. by x.Amy.x on Sat 06 Oct 2007 @ 11:44

This looks tasty!! i gotta try this1 thanks for the tip about the toffee ands i cant see myself finding merchant gourment toffee in tescos!!

69. by Sally L. on Thu 04 Oct 2007 @ 21:20

Nestle Carnation makes Dulce de Leche (they call it Caramel) It is easier to find in the shops than Merchant Gourmet.

70. by campingcath on Tue 02 Oct 2007 @ 20:51

its well worth the time

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