French Apple Almond Tart Food

FRENCH APPLE TART

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
• Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

ALMOND & APPLE TART

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Using a free-standing mixer fitted with a beater attachment (or an electric hand whisk and large bowl), mix the butter and sugar until smooth and pale. Reduce the speed, slowly add the flour, then just before it's fully combined, add the egg yolk and mix briefly until smooth (if the pastry is dry add 1 tsp cold water). Remove the pastry from the bowl, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge overnight, or for at least 1 hr.
• For the frangipane, cream the butter and icing sugar in a freestanding mixer or with an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then fold in the almonds and calvados and beat for 3 mins more. Chill until needed.
• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Roll out the pastry on a well-floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Gently press the pastry into either a 23cm tart ring on a baking sheet or a 23cm fluted tart tin (the pastry may crack - patch up any holes with leftover pastry). Trim the edges neatly, then chill in the fridge for 20 mins.
• Stand the tart tin (if using) on a baking sheet, then spoon in the frangipane and smooth with the back of the spoon, leaving a 0.5cm gap at the top. Peel and core the apples, then cut into 4mm slices using a mandolin or knife across the width of the apple so there's a hole in the middle of each slice. Arrange the apples on top of the frangipane. Sieve a good layer of icing sugar on top, then bake for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins or until the apples are caramelised and the frangipane is cooked (use a skewer to check). Leave to cool for 30 mins before serving.
• Next make the Chantilly. Whip the double cream and icing sugar to soft peaks, then add the Calvados and vanilla seeds, and whisk again until the mixture holds its shape. Chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve with the tart.

FRENCH APPLE TART (TARTE DE POMMES A LA NORMANDE)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together 1 1/3 cups of flour and salt. Add the butter, 1 egg yolk and water, and stir until the mixture forms large crumbs. If it is too dry to press a handful together, stir in more water. Press the dough into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Flatten slightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until firm. This part can be done up to three days in advance.
• To make the frangipane, cream together the butter and 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium bowl until light and soft. Gradually mix in the egg and the remaining egg yolk one at a time. Stir in the apple brandy. Stir 2 tablespoons of flour into the ground almonds, then mix into the batter. Set aside.
• Roll the pastry dough out to about a 12 inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fold loosely into quarters, and center the point in a 10 inch tart or pie pan. Unfold dough, and press into the bottom and up the sides. Prick with a fork all over, and flute the edges. Return pastry to the refrigerator to chill until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place a baking sheet inside the oven while it preheats.
• Spoon the frangipane into the chilled pastry, and spread into an even layer. Arrange the apple slices in an overlapping spiral pattern. Each slice should have one edge pressed into the frangipane until it touches the pastry base, and then overlap the previous slice. Start at the outside edge, and work towards the center.
• Place the pie plate on top of the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the filling begins to brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for another 10 minutes, then sprinkle sugar over the top of the tart. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes, or until the sugar caramelizes slightly.
• Cool the tart on a wire rack. A short time before serving, warm the apricot jelly. Add some water if necessary to make it a liquid consistency. Brush onto the tart for a nice shine.

FRENCH APPLE-ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Stir egg yolks and Calvados in small bowl to blend. Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter; cut in, using on/off turns, until butter is size of small peas. With machine running, add yolk mixture. Process until large moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly before rolling out.)
• Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 14-inch round. Transfer to 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in and press, forming double-thick sides. Chill while making filling.
• Make filling:
• Combine almonds, 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, 1 tablespoon Calvados, extracts and salt in processor. Blend until soft paste forms. Add 4 tablespoons butter; blend 10 seconds. Spread in crust. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir apples, 1 tablespoon Calvados and 1 tablespoon sugar in large bowl. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain apples; overlap in concentric circles atop filling. Melt 2 tablespoons butter; brush over apples. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake tart 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F. Bake until apples are tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer to rack. Stir preserves and 1 tablespoon Calvados in small saucepan over low heat until preserves melt. Strain into small bowl; brush over apples. Cool. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

SUPER APPLE AND ALMOND TART FROM BRENDAN LYNCH

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Mix flour, salt, and caster sugar together in a medium-sized bowl.
• Rub butter into flour to resemble fine breadcrumbs.
• Add egg and just enough milk to form soft/firm dough.
• Knead for a minute, shape into ball and put on plate and cover with Clingfilm and let rest for 20 minutes in fridge.
• Grease a 9-inch fluted or un-fluted tart tin.
• Roll out pastry to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Transfer to tin and press the pastry into sides with a small ball of dough. Leave about a 1 inch overhang of pastry and cut the rest away with a scissors.
• Line pastry with non-stick parchment paper so that it projects beyond the pastry. Fill to near top with rice or beans ensuring that the sides are supported by the dry material. Let stand for 20 minutes in fridge. This recovery period will reduce pastry shrinkage during baking.
• Preheat oven to 355F or 180 C for 15 minutes. Have an egg white that is lightly beaten ready to seal pastry before second bake.
• Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes.
• Remove from oven and using the parchment to help you, lift the dry contents away from the pastry shell. Prick the base all over with a fork to reduce puffing up. Brush the pastry shell with the egg white.
• Return to oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. You are partially baking the shell which will complete its baking with the almond cream and apples.
• Remove from oven and let cool on rack.
• Peel and quarter the apples and remove core with seeds. Slice the quarters thinly.
• Put the butter and sugar in a bowl, and using a hand-held whisk or a food processor, combine until the mixture is smooth, light and satiny.
• Add the ground almonds and continue to process until well blended.
• Add the flour and cornflour, whisk again, and then add the egg. Whisk for about 15 seconds more, or until the almond cream is homogeneous.
• Add the rum or vanilla and whisk just to blend.
• Spread mixture over pastry case base and smooth with a small spatula. Or use French custard - crème pâtissière .
• Starting with the outside circle, place overlapping slices of apple all the way round the shell covering the almond cream beneath.
• Do the same with the second inner circle.
• The final inner circle can be completed in this way. Or alternatively, stand each apple slice at a 35 degree angle to form a 'flower-type' pattern in the middle.
• Sprinkle the slices with 85 grams caster sugar.
• Bake in preheated as before for 20 to 25 minutes till apples are soft.
• Make the apricot glaze by gently heating the apricot preserve and water until dissolved.
• Then push through sieve to remove fruit pieces.
• Remove from oven and brush apples slices with the warm glaze.
• Allow to cool and set.

TARTE AUX POMMES (FRENCH APPLE - CUSTARD TART)

Steps:

• For crust: Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface turning it constantly so that it does not stick; add more flour as needed (the dough might crack around the edges, most of the cracks don't matter since the edges will be trimmed after the tart is in the pan, if there are some big ones that will show when the tart is in the pan, patch them with pieces of dough before fitting the) when the dough is rolled out, flip it over the rolling pin and transfer it to a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom; fit it into the tart pan without stretching; roll the rolling pin over the top of the tart to cut off the dough hanging over the pan's edge; refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F Place the tart pan on shallow baking sheet; fit the tart pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, fill with beans or pie weights, and bake in the middle of preheated oven for 15 minutes; carefully remove the foil with beans and bake for another 5 minutes.
• For filling: Turn the heat down to 375F; quarter, core, and peel the apples; cut into 1/4" lengthwise slices; toss them in a bowl with the sugar and cinnamon, then arrange them in the crust in concentric circles; bake in the upper third of preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until they start to color and are almost tender; remove from oven and let cool while preparing the custard.
• For custard: Beat the egg and sugar together in a mixing bowl until mixture is thick, pale yellow, and falls back on itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon; beat in the flour, then the cream, and finally the cognac; pour the mixture over the apples; it should come almost to the top of the pastry shell; return to oven for 10 minutes, or until cream begins to puff.
• Sprinkle with icing sugar (placed in a sieve and sprinkled evenly over) and return to oven for 15 to 20 minutes more.
• Tart is done when top has browned and a knife plunged into the custard comes out clean; unmold the tart; cool 10 minutes and serve.

FRENCH APPLE-CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• FOR THE APPLES & FILLING:.
• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Melt the 2 tablespoons butter for the apple filling in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
• Add apples and 2 tablespoons sugar; sauté until apples are soft but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat & stir in rum and 1/8 teaspoons salt.
• Spread apples over the bottom of the prebaked pie crust.
• Thoroughly whisk together this mixture before pouring it over the apples in the crust: eggs, egg yolks, cream, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and remaining 1/8 teaspoons salt; pour over apples in pie crust.
• Bake pie until custard is barely set in center, about 30 minutes.
• FOR THE ALMOND TOPPING:.
• Combine almonds, 1/3 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter for the almond topping in a bowl.
• Remove pie from the oven; sprinkle pie with topping.
• Cover pie with a pie shield if the edge of the crust seems to be overbrowning.
• Return pie to oven; bake until custard is almost set but still slightly jiggly in the center, 15-20 minutes more.
• Completely cool pie before slicing, or chill pie, then bring it to room temperature when ready to serve.
• *Use a pie shield to prevent pie crust from burning. You can buy a premade shield or make your own. Fold a 9" piece of 36" wide foil into thirds so it measures 3x36". Wrap it around the edge of the pie, crimping the shield where the ends of the foil meet.