Beat one egg with a pinch of salt; set aside 15ml (1tbsp). Process the flour, icing sugar and 175g (6oz) of the butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the remaining beaten egg with 45ml (3tbsp) water; pulse until pastry comes together. Divide into eight balls; chill for 30min.
Step 2
Roll out pastry and line eight 8cm (31/4in) base-measurement 3cm (11/4in) deep, fluted, loose-bottomed tartlet tins. Prick the bases and chill for 20min. Line the tins with greaseproof paper and baking beans; cook at 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 15min. Remove greaseproof paper and baking beans; brush the inside of the pastry with reserved beaten egg to seal. Return to the oven for a further 2-3min; set aside.
Step 3
Grate rind and squeeze the lemon juice. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Toss them in 30ml (2tbsp) lemon juice, then fry in 25g (1oz) melted butter for 1-2min. Spoon into the pastry cases.
Step 4
Soften remaining 125g (4oz) butter; process with the caster sugar for 3min or until soft, well combined and pale. Add the lemon rind, arrowroot and remaining two eggs; blend for 2min or until well combined.
Step 5
With the food processor running, add remaining lemon juice (see Cook's Tip). Blend for 1min or until combined. Pour over the apples. Dust with caster sugar.
Step 6
Return tartlets to the oven; cook at 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4 for 45-50 min or until pastry is golden and apples start to caramelise. The filling will puff up during cooking and sink on cooling. Remove from tins and serve warm or cold.
Step 7
To freeze: Complete to the end of step 6. Cool, wrap and freeze. To serve. Return to the tins, then thaw overnight at room temperature. Reheat at 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 7–10min. Serve with clotted cream, dusted with cinnamon.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
