These delicious apple slices are not hard to make by using ready-made sweet pastry and custard. This is a cookie that has all the ingredients of one of the world’s most popular desserts.

Ingredients: (Makes 16)

• 350 g/12 oz ready-made sweet pastry
• 1 large cooking apple, about 250 g/9 oz
• 30 ml/2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
• 60 ml/4 tablespoons ready-made thick custard

For the crumble topping

• 115 g/4 oz/1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2.5 ml/½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 60 ml/4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 90 g/3½ oz/7 tablespoons unsalted (sweet) butter, melted

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Roll out the pastry and use to line the base of a 28 x 18 cm/11 x 7 inch shallow cake tin (pan). Prick the pastry with a fork, line with foil and baking beans and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the foil and baking beans and return the pastry to the oven for a further 5 minutes until cooked and golden brown.

Meanwhile, peel, core and chop the apple evenly. Place in a pan with the sugar. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then cover with a lid and cook gently for 5-7 minutes until a thick puree is formed. Beat with a wooden spoon and set aside to cool.

Mix the cold apple with the custard. Spread over the pastry. To make the crumble topping, put the flour, cinnamon and sugar into a bowl and pour over the melted butter. Stir thoroughly until the mixture forms small clumps. Sprinkle the crumble over the filling.

Return to the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes until the crumble topping is cooked and a golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin, then slice into bars to serve.