Apple Tart With Apricot Jam Food

APPLE TART WITH APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, salt, chopped butter and egg and quickly knead until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Grease a 24 cm (approximately 9-inch) tart pan. Roll the dough out on a floured work surface and use to line the prepared pan. Prick the base several times with a fork.
• Meanwhile, for the filling: Rinse the apples, pat dry and peel. Cut the apples in half and remove the cores. Cut into wedges then arrange over the tart base and bake in a preheated oven (225°C) (approximately 425°F) for 25 minutes.
• Warm the apricot jam and spread over the apple wedges. Let the tart cool then serve with whipped cream, if desired.

FRENCH APPLE TART

Steps:

• CRUST:.
• Place the butter in your mixer and beat until softened.
• Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated.
• Don't overmix or butter will separate and lighten in color.
• Add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball.
• Don't overwork or pastry will be hard when baked.
• Roll out the pastry and fit it into a 8 or 9 inch (20 to 23 cm) tart pan (instructions for how to roll out the pastry are given in the recipe for the Sweet Pastry Crust). Prick the bottom of the shell and chill for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.
• Line the unbaked pastry shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
• Fill tart pan with pie weights or beans, making sure the weights are to the top of the pan and evenly distributed over the entire surface.
• Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes until crust is dry and lightly browned. Remove weights and cool crust on wire rack.
• When cool, spread a thin layer of warm apricot glaze over the bottom and sides of the tart to seal the crust and prevent it from getting soggy.
• Let the glaze dry between 20 - 30 minutes.
• FOR APPLE TART:.
• For bottom layer of apples:
• Peel, core, and slice three of the apples.
• In a large skillet melt 1 tablespoon (13 grams) unsalted butter and stir in between 2 - 4 tablespoons (25 - 50 grams) of the sugar, the lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
• Add the apples and saute over moderate heat, stirring occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft.
• Gently mash the apples with the back of a spatula or spoon and stir the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• For top layer of apples:
• Peel, core, and cut the apples into slices 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick. Melt 1 tablespoon (13 grams) butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the other 2 - 4 tablespoons (25 - 50 grams) sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
• Add the apples and saute until they begin to soften, approximately 5 minutes.
• Set the cooked apples aside.
• Spoon the applesauce mixture into the cooled and glazed pre-baked tart shell.
• Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles over the applesauce, and brush with 1 - 2 tablespoons (13-26 grams) melted butter.
• Bake the tart on a baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree F (177 degree C) oven for 25-30 minutes or until the apples are nicely browned and soft. Remove from oven and sprinkle the tart with confectioners' sugar, cover the edges of tart with foil, and broil it under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat until the edges of the apples are golden brown and crisp. Once the tart has cooled lightly glaze the apple slices with warm apricot glaze.
• FOR APRICOT GLAZE:
• In a small saucepan heat the apricot preserves until boiling.
• Remove from heat and strain to get rid of lumps.
• Add the Cognac, Calvados, Rum or water.
• Use this glaze to seal the baked tart shell and to brush the top of the finished tart.

APPLE, APRICOT, AND PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Into a chilled large metal bowl sift together flour and salt. Set a grater in bowl and using largest teardrop-shaped holes coarsely grate frozen butter into flour, gently lifting and tossing flour to coat butter. Chill mixture 20 minutes. Drizzle 8 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until just incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When it has proper texture it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated, and test mixture again. (If you overwork or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)
• Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and with floured hands mound into 4 portions. With heel of hand smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough portions together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk (dough will not be smooth). Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 2 hours, or until firm, and up to 2 days.
• On floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough 1/4 inch thick (about a 15-inch round). Fit dough into a 12 1/2- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom and with a rolling pin roll over top of shell to trim pastry flush with rim. With a fork prick bottom of shell all over. Chill shell 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425° F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake shell in middle of oven 20 minutes. Carefully remove weights or rice and foil and bake shell until golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool shell in pan on a rack.
• Make filling
• Peel, core, and chop 1 apple. In a saucepan cook chopped apple, apricots, 1/2 cup sugar, and water, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender, about 12 minutes. Cool mixture 20 minutes. In a food processor pulse mixture until smooth and transfer to a small bowl. Chop prunes and stir into purée. Peel remaining 4 apples and quarter. Core apples and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
• Spoon apricot purée evenly into shell and smooth top. Decoratively arrange apple slices, overlapping them, over purée and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake tart in middle of oven until apple slices are slightly browned and crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool tart slightly in pan on rack. In a small saucepan melt jam over low heat and pour through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Press hard on solids and discard. With a pastry brush, brush glaze evenly over tart.
• Serve tart with crème fraîche or whipped cream.

FRENCH APPLE TART

Steps:

• For the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl until crumbly. Mix in the egg until it forms a dough, then form into a puck shape. Cover and chill for at least 30 mins. Will keep chilled for two days.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to roughly the thickness of a £1 coin, and use to line a 23cm fluted tart tin, leaving some overhanging. Line with a disc of baking parchment big enough to cover the edges, and fill with some baking beans to weigh it down (use dried rice or lentils if you don't have baking beans). Bake for 15 mins, then remove the parchment and beans and bake for 10-15 mins more until the pastry is biscuity. Trim away any overhanging pastry with a serrated knife. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, set aside four of the apples, then peel, core and roughly chop the rest. Put them in a shallow saucepan with 2 tbsp water, all but 1 tbsp of the sugar and the alcohol, if using. Cover and cook over a low heat for 25-30 mins, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed, until the apples have collapsed into a purée. Taste the mixture and sweeten with more sugar, if needed.
• Turn the oven up to 210C/190C fan/gas 8. Peel, core and halve the reserved apples, then cut into even-sized slices. Spread the apple purée over the base of the tart case, then arrange the apple slices in neat, concentric circles, starting from the outside. Brush the apples with butter, then scatter over the reserved sugar and bake for another 20-25 mins until golden.
• Mix the jam with 1 tbsp hot water from a freshly boiled kettle. When the tart has finished baking, glaze generously with the jam, then leave to cool a little. Serve warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar, if you like.