Tarte Noel

You will need a 17cm/7” or 20cm/8” flan dish and a sheet of tin foil

1. Put the flour into a mixing bowl.  Add the butter cut into small pieces.  Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.  Use the water to bind to a stiff dough.  Gently knead the dough into a smooth ball.  Use to line a 17cm/7” round flan dish.  Use the pastry trimmings to cut out stars or other Christmas shapes and set on a baking tray.  Chill for about 30 minutes.
2. Set the oven to 190C/375F/Gas mark 5.  Line the flan case with tin foil or greaseproof paper and baking beans.  Bake for 20 minutes then remove the lining and bake for another 10 minutes to allow the pastry to brown all over.   Bake the pastry stars for 10 minutes until golden and cool on a wire rack.
3. To make the filling: dice the apple and banana. Melt the butter and gently fry the fruit until soft.  Add the dried fruit, lemon juice, sugar and sherry.  Heat through and allow the sugar to dissolve.
4. Dust the pastry stars with icing sugar.  Pile the filling into the flan case.  Decorate with the pastry stars and dust with icing sugar before serving.  Serve warm with ice cream or cream.