Anzac Apple Tart

Pastry:

1&1/2 cups plain flour

Pinch salt

2 tablespoons sugar or icing sugar

90 g. (3 ozs) butter or margarine

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

Spiced apples:

4 cooking apples

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

Long strip lemon peel

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Meringue:

2 egg whites

Pinch salt

4 tablespoons castor sugar

Method: For pastry, sift together flour and salt. Stir in sugar. Rub in butter with fingertips. Beat egg yolks with lemon juice and work into flour mixture. Add water gradually and mix into a firm dough. Press dough on to base and sides of a 23 cm. (9 in.) pie plate; trim edges. Pierce all over with a fork. Bake in a hot oven (220C) until firm and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool.

Apple filling: Peel, core and slice apples. Heat sugar, water and peel in saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves and syrup boils. Add apples; cover and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates and apples are soft and dry. Remove from heat. Stir in mixed spice and cinnamon. Spoon into pastry shell.

Meringue: Beat egg whites and salt until stiff. Gradually add castor sugar, beating constantly until glossy. Pile over filling to meet pastry and seal completely. Bake in a moderately hot oven (190C) until meringue is browned, 10 minutes. Serve warm or cooled.

Serves 6 to 8.

Source: Memory Lane Cookbook (Rotary Club of Naracoorte, 1986), p.72.