Marzipan and apple tartlets

Ingredients:

1 mug (or 200g) strong white flour

1 dessertspoon sugar

1/3rd of a mug (or 125ml) lukewarm water

1 rounded teaspoon fresh yeast

Splash of olive oil (optional)

Plus:

Small circles of marzipan

Slices of eating apple

1 dessertspoon sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

1. Measure the water and stir in the yeast. Place the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl and pour in the yeast liquid. Add the oil if using.

2. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a knife, cutting through the dough. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by stretching the dough out, folding it over, stretching it out and so on and so forth. Do this until it is smooth – and stop before you get fed up!

4. Leave to prove for about an hour on your worktop, covered with a dry tea towel. Or place in an oiled plastic bag until you are ready for step 5.

5. When you are ready to proceed, take the dough out of the mixing bowl and place it on your worktop. This time, don't 'knock the dough back'.

6. Form the dough into a cob shape. Have plenty of flour to hand and scatter flour over the dough and worktop. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a large circle. Using pastry cutters, cut the dough out into circles and place them on a prepared baking sheet. Press out acorn-sized lumps of marzipan into small circles and place them on the pieces of dough. Cut a quarter of an apple into fairly thin slices and place two slices on top of the marzipan, facing each other. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

7. Cover and leave to prove until they have grown appreciably in size. Bake at 220C, 425F or gas mark 7, for between 10 and 15 minutes.