A fruit you can sink your teeth into

Apple power for ergobaggers!

Like the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away: many mornings, ergobag intern Klaas walks around the office distributing fresh-bought apples to his fellow ergobaggers, hoping to bring a dose of crisp sweetness to their day. But it's not always apples in their purest form: apple pancakes, dried apple rings and apple sauce make equally tasty treats – as does Mama Jutta's extra special apple tart!

Round perfection

Wilhelm Tell uses a crossbow to shoot an apple off his son's head; Snow White bites into one; and everyone knows the apple's infamous role in the story of Adam and Eve. Apples come in many varieties, and not just in books: there are 2,000 types of apple in Germany alone and over 30,000 worldwide! These sweet little powerhouses not only provide a quick burst of energy, they also taste fantastic, keep your gums healthy and even quench your thirst.

Mama Jutta's Alsatian apple tart recipe: a delightful delicacy from Mom's kitchen

The measurements shown below (in metric units, since it's a European recipe) are for making one or three tart crusts. Use part of the dough and freeze the rest: it'll thaw in a flash if you're having guests over. - 170 / 500 g - flour 85 / 250 g - soft butter - 1 / 2 eggs 17 / 50 g - sugar pinch - ¼ teaspoon salt - 33 / 100 mL cold water (by the way, 100 mL of water weighs 100 grams – use a kitchen scale to weigh out the quantity for more precise results) Grease the baking dish or mold well with butter. Press the dough into the dish, pulling it up around the edges. Poke holes all around the dough with a fork. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 250°C (180°C for a convection oven). 900 g of apples, peeled and cut into quarters, or eighths if they're particularly big (Mama Jutta uses Boskoop apples, which are hard to find outside of Central Europe, but you can substitute with Jonagold (in the US) or Cox's Orange Pippin (in the UK)). Score each apple piece multiple times so they cook better. Lay the apple pieces inside the mold and sprinkle with 25 grams of sugar. Bake for 25 minutes in the oven. In the meantime, prepare a batter using: 75 grams of sugar 2 eggs 100 mL of heavy cream Next, cut a slit in a vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife, scrape out the seeds and add to the batter. Alternatively, you can use vanilla sugar (also rare outside of Europe, but you can substitute with vanilla extract). Pour the batter over the tart and bake for another 25 minutes until done. Your Alsatian apple tart is now ready to eat! If you like, dust with powdered sugar (while still lukewarm) and serve with vanilla ice cream. Guten Appetit!