Apples are one of the easiest fruits to turn into a warm winter dessert. They keep well throughout the colder months and need very little preparation to become the basis of a tart.

For a simple version, ready-made puff pastry saves most of the work. Place the pastry on a baking tray and arrange two thinly sliced apples across the centre, leaving a small border around the edge.

Sprinkle the apples with a tablespoon of brown sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Add a few small pieces of butter, then fold the pastry edges loosely over the fruit. There is no need to make the shape perfectly even. The exposed apples will soften and caramelise while the pastry becomes crisp around the edges.

Bake at 200°C for around 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the apples are tender.

The basic recipe is easy to adapt. Pears can replace some of the apple, chopped walnuts or almonds can add texture and a little orange zest works well with the cinnamon. When the fruit is naturally sweet, very little additional sugar is required.

Serve the tart while it is still slightly warm, either on its own or with crème fraîche, vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. With coffee or tea, it also works well as an afternoon bake on a cold winter day.

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