Last week of Tarts: Apple Tart

I have adored making tarts. Finally I have learned that I can roll out dough, and that I can carefully place it over the top of the tart base and make it work. I love that tarts have different bases, and that you can mix sweet and savory or keep sweet base with a sweet filling. I love using fruits, whatever is in season. I love that you can achieve different flavors and textures by adding something to a tart base thats been fully cooked, or cooking an entire tart, fillings and all, at the same time. 

We made an apple tart at school on Thursday, and so I made one at home on Thursday night. The base is a simple pate sucree dough, not baked or anything. For this really simple tart all the time is taken up by cutting apples.

Apple Tart 

Ingredients: Pate Sucree (makes 1-2 Tarts)

1/8 recipe for 1-2 tarts

12oz flour

3oz sugar

1/2lb butter

2 yolks

1/2 oz cream

Ingredients: Filling

3 Granny Smith or equally tart firm apples

1/8 cup sugar (you may require more depending on the taste)

1lon, thick piece of lemon zest

4 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

6 Tbs. of water (you may require more depending on how dry it gets)

Ingredients: Topping

4 Granny Smith Apples cut to be around 2-3mm thick 

A few Tbs of cinnamon sugar 

Ingredients: Glaze

4 Tbs apricot jam 

2-3 Tbs of water 

Method: Pate sucree

1. Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy (use the paddle attachment of your kitchen aid).

2. Add the eggs and mix in. 

3. Add the cream and mix. 

4. Add the flour in two parts. 

5. Mix until it just comes together. 

6. Press into 2 small rectangles and wrap in glad wrap. Put in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour. 

7. Roll out on a well floured bench (use bread flour for rolling). Use very quick rolls, two up, two down with quite a bit of pressure. Drag the dough through the flour without lifting it up. 

8. When 1/8 inch thick (3mm) fold in half and place in the flan pan. Make sure you push the dough right into the corners of the pan, try and make a 90 degree angle between the base and the sides.

9. Trim excess dough off if needed (this dough can be reused and made into new tarts if refrigerated). 

10. Place the tart base on parchment paper thats on a sheet pan. 

11. Place in the fridge while you make the filling and topping.

Method: Filling

1. Peel and core the apples.

2. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and set over medium heat. If the stewed apples get too dry add some more water. You want a mixture that is fairly dry, and fairly even in consistency. 

3. Check the sugar level, and add sugar if you think you need to. 

4. Remove the pot from the heat and remove the cloves, cinnamon and lemon zest. 

5. Let cool. 

Method Topping

1. Peel the apples (try peeling in a long spiral from the top to the bottom to make sure you keep the round shape of the apple). 

2. Core the apples using a melon baller and a paring knife. 

3. cut the apple into very fine slices, try and keep them even. Make sure you cut them with the hollow core facing to your sides, rather than towards you. 

Method: Assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Spread the stewed apples on the base of the tart. 

3. Starting at the top of the tart place a piece of apple and then another piece on top of it so they overlap quite a lot (see picture). Do this all the way around the tart. 

4. For the center of the tart dump some of the apple pieces in the center and then surround the center with apples halves, building a type of flower out of the apple halves. You can make it as high as you like. 

5. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. 

6. Bake for 45 min or until the pate sucree looks a light golden brown and the apples look baked. 

7. Cool.

Method: Glaze

1. Mix together the jam and the water. 

2. Microwave for 30sec. 

3. Using a pastry brush, brush onto the cooled tart (try and avoid the lumps). 

4. Enjoy!