Darina Allen's Blackberry, Apple and Sweet Geranium Tart

The pastry is made by the creaming method so people who are convinced that they suffer from 'hot hands' don't have to worry about rubbing in the butter. 
 

Serves 8-12
 
Pastry
225g (8ozs) butter
50g (2ozs) castor sugar
2 eggs, preferably free range
350g (12ozs) white flour, preferably unbleached
 
Filling
1 1/4lbs (600g) Bramley Seedling cooking apples
110g (4ozs) blackberries
6 sweet geranium leaves
150g (5ozs) sugar
egg wash-made with one beaten egg and a dash of milk
castor sugar for sprinkling
 
To serve
softly whipped cream
Barbados sugar
 
tin, 7 inches (18cm) x 12 inches (30.5cm) x 1 inch (2.5cm) deep
 
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/regulo 4.
 
First make the pastry. Cream the butter and sugar together by hand or in a food mixer (no need to over cream). Add the eggs and beat for several minutes. Reduce speed and mix in the flour. Turn out onto a piece of floured greaseproof paper, flatten into a round wrap and chill. This pastry needs to be chilled for at least 2 hours otherwise it is difficult to handle. 
 
To make the tart
Roll out the pastry 3mm (1/8 inch) thick approx., and use about two-thirds of it to line a suitable tin. Peel, quarter and dice the apples into the tart, add the blackberries and torn sweet geranium leaves, sprinkle with sugar. Cover with a lid of pastry, seal edges, decorate with pastry leaves, egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until the apples are tender, approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour. When cooked cut into squares, sprinkle lightly with castor sugar and serve with softly whipped cream and Barbados sugar. 

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