French Apple Tart Tart Aux Pommes Recipes

APPLE TART

Steps:

• To make the quick puff pastry, in a medium bowl mix the flour and salt. (You can also make this part of the recipe in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.) Add the cubes of butter and mix quickly with a pastry blender, or your clean hands, until the butter is in just slightly smaller pieces, about 25% smaller than they originally were. Add the water and mix (and knead a little bit), until the dough forms a cohesive mass, which will still be a bit shaggy. On a lightly floured countertop, pat the dough out into a rough rectangle.
• With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rough rectangle approximately 10 x 5-inches (25x12cm.)
• Fold the dough over in thirds, starting with one side being folded over the center.
• Then fold the other end over the center.
• Now turn the dough so that the short ends of the rectangle are back on the left and the right. You've done one "turn."
• Repeat that process of rolling out the dough again as you just did, folding left over the center, then right over the center. That is your second "turn." Repeat during two more "turns" until you've done a total of four turns. Wrap the dough and chill it at least 2 hours.
• Do two more turns of the rough, rolling and folding (at this point, you will have done a total of six turns), then wrap the pastry and chill it for at least an hour, until ready to use.
• When ready to prepare and bake the tart, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured countertop roll the pastry into a 14-inch (35cm) circle. Use a tart ring or round cake pan as a guide, trim the dough with a paring knife so it's a 12-inch (30cm) circle. If you don't have a similar-sized ring or pan, you can eyeball it. Fold the dough in half, which makes it easier to handle, then transfer it to the baking sheet and unfold it. Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator while you peel and core the apples.
• To assemble and bake the tart, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC.)
• Peel and slice the apples as thinly as possible either by hand or with a mandoline. (Here I used a chef's knife.) Remove the dough from the refrigerator and arrange the nicest slices of apples in concentric circles over the pastry, leaving a small border of dough around them. (You can snack on the less-attractive apple bits.) Brush or drizzle the melted butter over the apples, as well as on the crust making the border, then sprinkle the sugar over the apples and exposed crust. Bake the tart until the apples and the crust are deep golden-brown, about 25 to 30 minutes, but rely more on how it looks rather than a kitchen timer since apples (and ovens) can vary. Let cool for a few minutes, then brush with the glaze.

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 TART (TART AUX POMMES)

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry and refrigerate it.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Peel the apples, using a swivel-bladed paring knife. Using a regular paring knife, cut away and d iscard th e stems and center coresof the apples. Cut each apple into quarters.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, preferably a cold surface. Use a wooden rolling pin covered, preferably, with a pastry cloth. Use the pastry to line a 10-inch loose-bottom tart pan.
• Cut the apple quarters into thin slices. Arrange the slices symmetrically in circles all around the inside of the pastry-lined tin and all around the center. Continue making circles in layers until all the slices are used.
• Dot the apples all over with butter and sprinkle the sugar evenly over all.
• Place the tart pan in the oven and bake 50 minutes.
• Hold a small sieve over the tart and add the confectioners' sugar. Sprinkle it evenly over the tart. Serve hot or cold.

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.