Apples originated in Asia, almonds in Iran, and the tart is as French as it gets. Apple pie is American as. . .well, apple pie. This dish is my take on an apple frangipane tart, combining the sharpness of the apple contrasted with the rich sweetness of my take on an almond frangipane, all held in a light, crisp pastry shell.
Time: 90min
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
Pastry
- 1 c. AP flour
- 6 Tbsp. cold hard butter
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- Ice water
Frangipani
- 1 c. whole almonds
- ¾ c. AP flour
- ¾ c. sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ c. water
- 4 Tbsp. melted butter
- ½ tsp. almond extract
Apples
- 4 large apples
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2/3 c. sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
To begin, start making your pastry dough as it must rest for at least 20 minutes in the fridge before rolling it out and fitting it in the tart pan. I combine all elements in a food processor for the quickest, easiest dough. First, combine the dry ingredients with a short pulse, then add the cold butter, pulsing until broken into the size of lima beans. Then when you add the egg yolk with the cold water and pulse some more, this will bind all elements to the proper consistency. Form the dough into the shape of a hockey puck, seal it in cling wrap, and place it in the refrigerator to rest while you prepare the other ingredients needed for this dessert.
You have chosen crisp, sour apples that will hold their shape and texture against the heat of the oven. Peel, core, and slice the apples. Toss in a bowl with lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar. Place bowl in the fridge while we make the frangipani.
Place the almonds in the food processor, don’t worry about any bits of dough from earlier. Pulse to the size of a match head. Add remaining dry ingredients run the processor until it is finer than cornmeal. Mix butter, egg, and water, then pulse the blade while streaming in the mixture. The dough should be fluffy and just thicker than pancake batter (it will lose moisture in the oven). Set aside.
Set the oven to preheat 400 f. Take the refrigerated dough puck out and flatten by hand on a floured board until it responds to the rolling pin. Roll out to 2 inches larger on all sides than the tart pan. Center in the pan and crimp in the sides so that they are uniform. Keep in mind that the more you handle the dough, the tougher the crust will be. Prick the floor of the uncooked crust to keep it from puffing up in the oven.
Evenly spread frangipani, arrange apple slices to create a uniform pattern. Bake at 400 f. for 15 minutes, then turn down the temp to 350. Bake for another 20-30 minutes. It is done when the apples become caramelized, and the crust is browned.
Allow to completely cool before applying glace. Best served warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Cheers,
*** Please Check out the video on Pinterest @brazemshop! ***
Mr. Fred
