Apple Brioche Tart Recipes

MARY BERRY'S BRIOCHE FRANGIPANE APPLE PUDDING

Steps:

• 1. You will need a large, shallow ovenproof dish, about 28cm (11in) in diameter. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6 and grease the dish with butter. 2. Slice the brioche into thin slices, about 5mm/¼in, and arrange these over the base of the dish. Make sure you cover the base and fill in all the gaps, but don't overlap the slices. 3. Measure the butter and sugar into a food processor and whizz until pale and fluffy. Add the almond extract, ground almonds, eggs and flour, then whizz again until the mixture is soft and creamy and there are no lumps. Be careful not to over-process. 4. Spoon the mixture over the brioche base and spread it to the sides. Arrange the sliced apples in a neat overlapping circular pattern over the top. Bake the pudding in the oven for about 40 minutes until lightly golden all over and firm in the centre when lightly pressed. 5. Melt the jam with 2 tablespoons of water in a small pan. Brush over the surface and sprinkle with flaked almonds. 6. Dust the pudding with icing sugar and serve warm. Prepare ahead: Can be made and baked up to 8 hours ahead and reheated to serve.

APPLE BRIOCHE TART

Steps:

• Make the brioche dough:
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour, granulated sugar, and salt on low speed to combine. Add the yeast and mix to combine, 10 to 15 seconds more. Add the eggs and milk and mix for 4 minutes. The dough should form a sticky, shaggy ball around the hook.
• Increase the speed to medium and slowly add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, being careful to incorporate each addition before adding the next; the entire process should take about 3 minutes. (If you add the butter too quickly, it can create a greasy disaster in the bowl, so pace it out.) Scrape the bowl down once or twice to make sure everything is homogeneous. (This mixing period is called intense mixing-and it is! Don't be alarmed if the mixing is noisy or difficult in the early to mid-stages, it will come together.) Then knead the dough until it is smooth and uniform, 1 minute more.
• Grease a large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
• Make the tart:
• Use the butter to generously grease an 18-by-13-inch baking sheet, including the rim.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle a little larger than the pan (about 1 inch on all sides), so that the dough will come up the sides of the pan.
• Roll up the dough around the rolling pin and transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry wheel to trim the edges so they are flush with the edges of the pan. Cover the baking sheet with greased plastic wrap (I use nonstick spray) and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C, with a rack in the middle.
• Meanwhile, peel, quarter, and core the apples, then slice crosswise 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick (see Pro Tip).
• In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Uncover the dough and sprinkle it evenly with half the cinnamon sugar. Arrange the apple slices across the dough (see Pro Tip). Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly over the apples. Finish with the salt.
• Bake the tart until the edges of the crust are golden brown, the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, and the sugar has caramelized, 32 to 36 minutes. Cool the tart for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving, warm or at room temperature.
• Make Ahead and Storage
• This tart is best the same day it's made. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

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.