This
tart has that perfect combination of buttery and crumbly pastry,
sweet almond cream, and slices of apple. The pastry used here is called P?/font>te
Brisee, which
is a French short crust pastry dough made from a mixture of flour, sugar, salt,
butter, and ice water. It is well suited for free form tarts as it has a high ratio of fat to flour
which gives the pastry its crumbly texture and buttery flavor and is perfect
with the sweet almond filling and sliced apples. The sweet almond filling (called Frangipane) is a pastry cream
traditionally made with almond flour (meal) along with
sugar, butter, and
eggs.
Almond meal (flour) is blanched almonds that are finely
ground and can be found at health food stores and many large grocery
stores. If you cannot find it you can make your own by taking
about 1/2 cup of blanched almonds (along with the flour in the
recipe) and processing these two ingredients in your food processor
until finely ground. Just make sure not to over process this
mixture as it needs to be finely ground, not a paste. Once made, the frangipane is then spread over the
unbaked pastry and
is used not only for its wonderful flavor but it also acts as a shield to prevent the apple juices from penetrating
into the crust.
Sliced apples are then arranged over the cream and the edges of
the pastry are folded up and over the filling. The assembled
tart is then brushed with melted butter, and sprinkled with sugar,
which only adds to this pastry's crisp and crumbly texture. You can serve this tart warm from the oven or at room temperature. Of course, a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream finishes this
tart off very nicely.
Apples are one of the more versatile fruits that are enjoyed
both in baking and eating out of hand. Fortunately there is an
apple for everyone as varieties number in the thousands and run the gamut from
very sweet to very tart with textures from soft to firm. In baking,
it is important to use the right type of apple i.e. one that retains its shape
when baked. Oftentimes recipes call for Granny Smith
Apples and this is because they are readily available year round and their tart flavor and firm
texture make them ideal in pies and tarts. But if you are fortunate
enough to live near an apple orchard or can go to a farmer's market, your choice
of suitable baking apples dramatically increases. There are so many
varieties with wonderful textures and flavors that are never sold at your local grocery stores. In my area Mutsu Golden, Rome, Stayman Winesap,
Jonagold and Jonathan are available but try the varieties locally
grown in your area. You won't be disappointed and
even try mixing two or even three varieties for a more complex flavored tart.
Frangipane:
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream
the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until
smooth. Add the almond meal and flour and beat
until it forms a smooth paste. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and
refrigerate.
Pate Brisee: In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process
until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse
meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/8 cup (30 ml) water in a slow, steady stream
through the feed tube until the pastry just holds together when pinched. Add
remaining water, if necessary. Do not process more than about 30 seconds. Turn the pastry out onto your
work surface, gather it into a ball,
cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour to
chill the butter and allow the gluten in the flour to relax.
Once the pastry has
chilled sufficiently, remove from refrigerator and place on a lightly floured
surface. Roll the pastry into a
13 inch (33 cm) circle. Lift and turn the dough when rolling so it does
not stick to the counter. If it gets too soft and starts to fall
apart when rolling, put dough back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm
up. Transfer the circle to a baking sheet that has been lined with
parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and return it to the refrigerator for
about 15 minutes.
Then remove the chilled pastry from the refrigerator and spread the frangipane evenly over
the dough, leaving a 2 inch (5 cm) border. Cover and return to the
refrigerator while you prepare the apples.
Assemble Tart:
Preheat oven to 375
degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven.
Arrange the apple slices
evenly over the frangipane layer (concentrically or free form), again leaving a
2 inch (5 cm) border. Fold the 2 inch
(5 cm) border of pastry up and over the apples (sealing any cracks) and brush the
pastry crust with the melted butter. Pour any leftover butter over the apples.
Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of sugar (depending on the tartness of
the apples) over the crust and apples.
Bake the tart for 50 to 60
minutes or until the apples are cooked and the crust is golden
brown. (The apples should be soft, but not mushy, when pierced with a knife.) Remove from oven
and place on a wire rack to cool.
Serve warm or at room
temperature with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream.
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