Autumn Apple Tart Recipes

AUTUMN APPLE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. In a small bowl, cream butter and 1/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Press onto bottom and 1 in. up sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan., In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth. Add egg and almond extract; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust., Place apples in a large bowl. Mix cinnamon sugar and nutmeg; add to apples and toss to coat. Arrange over cream cheese mixture. Bake 5 minutes. , Reduce oven setting to 400°. Bake until apples are tender, 30-35 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack., Remove rim from pan. In a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over torte; sprinkle with almonds. Refrigerate leftovers.

RUSTIC AUTUMN FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into the flour with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor: pulse the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal; add the cream cheese and pulse until it's the size of small peas.) When you squeeze a handful of the mixture, it should form a ball. Shape the dough into a round disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Toss the sliced apples and pear with the orange juice. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cornstarch. Toss the fruit with the sugar-spice mixture and set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Set out an 8-inch tart pan, or, if you'll be making a free-form tart (galette), lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to form a 10-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the tart pan or baking sheet. Arrange the fruit decoratively in the tart pastry. If you're baking the tart on a baking sheet, leave a 2-inch rim of dough and fold it up over the edge of the fruit (the pastry folds will overlap).
• Bake the tart in the preheated oven until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and brush it with the apricot jam.