Apple Filling

1. Using a peeler, peel off the skin of the apples and soak in salt water.
2. Cut the apples into thin slices and set aside.
3. Weigh out rest of the ingredients and set aside.
4. Using a pan or pot at low heat, melt the butter and add in all the ingredients except corn starch.
5. Stir occasionally with low heat to simmer until the apples are slightly softened.
6. Once ready, stir in the corn starch to thicken the apple sauce till it becomes viscous. If the sauce is still watery, add more corn starch to thicken it.
7. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Tart Base

1. Mix the plain flour, sugar and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
2. Using low speed with a paddle attachment, mix the margarine till smooth or no large lumps observed.
3. Add the butter into the softened margarine and continue mixing at low speed till evenly blended.
4. Add in the powder mix prepared earlier and mix at low speed for ~1 minute.
5. While mixing the dough, slowly add in the eggs till the dough is evenly mixed and uniform.
6. Remove from the mixing bowl into a plastic bag or cling wrap and transfer to chiller to rest for ~1 hour.
7. Thereafter, preheat the oven to 200°C.
8. Divide the dough into 2 portions and keep the smaller portion for later use as cover.
9. Using a rolling pin, sheet the dough to ~3 mm thickness sheet.
10. Roll up the dough onto the rolling pin and unfold on the mould slowly.
11. Slowly fit the dough onto the mould shape and trim away any excess dough.
12. Using a fork, make holes on the base to allow air circulation and prevent the base from bloating up.
13. Bake the dough in the convection oven for around 30 minutes or until it turns pale brownish colour.
14. Thereafter, set aside the baked crust to cool before adding in the filling.
15. Once cooled, add in the cooled apple filling and set aside.
16. To prepare the top crust, remove the 2^nd half of the dough from the chiller and sheet, using a rolling pin, to around 3 mm thickness.
17. Similarly to step 10, unfold the dough carefully on the prepared base with apple filling and trim off the excess ends.
18. Make a small opening in the centre to allow gas to pass through during baking.
19. Make any desired design cuttings on the crust and brush with whole egg twice.
20. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until the crust appears golden brown in colour.
21. Thereafter, leave it too cool completely before removing from the mould.