Instructions
Make the Red Wine Jelly: Place red wine, jam sugar, star anise, clove, cinnamon stick, allspice, and the vanilla pod (both pod and seeds) into a medium saucepan. Stir the mixture gently over low heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes, or until the jelly has reduced and become syrupy. Strain the hot jelly through a sieve into a clean, sterilized jam jar. Let the jelly cool completely. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month. Prepare the Pastry: Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then, unroll it. Preheat your grill to its highest setting. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan or Gas Mark 4). Using a 13cm plate as a guide, cut out two circular pieces of pastry. Place these two pastry circles onto a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of brown sugar evenly over each pastry circle. Carefully place the baking sheet under the hot grill. Grill for 5 minutes, watching very closely to prevent the sugar from burning. The sugar should caramelize. Remove the pastry from the grill. You can prepare these pastry bases a few hours in advance; cover them and leave at room temperature. Assemble and Bake the Tarts: Peel the apples, then cut them into quarters and remove the core from each quarter. Slice the apple quarters very thinly, about 2mm thick. Arrange the thin apple slices neatly on top of the grilled pastry circles. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar over the apples on both tarts. Place the baking sheet with the tarts into the preheated oven (180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The pastry should be cooked through and golden, and the apples should be soft. Remove the tarts from the oven and let them cool slightly. In a small pan, gently warm 3 tablespoons of the prepared red wine jelly with 1 teaspoon of water over low heat until it becomes slightly runny. Brush this warm jelly mixture generously over the baked apple tarts. Prepare the Cardamom Crème Fraîche and Serve: Pour the crème fraîche into a mixing bowl. Sift the icing sugar and cardamom powder over the crème fraîche. Mix everything together until well combined. Carefully transfer the warm apple tarts onto individual serving plates. Serve immediately with a spoonful of the cardamom crème fraîche on the side.