This recipe can use almost any perfectly ripe fruit, but I like this apple version the best. I will give you Kate Hill's recipe for the pastry crust. But if you are pressed for time or feeling lazy you can use a frozen puff pastry for the shell. I used a Trader Joe's puff pastry for this tart, but they aren't being made any more. Your local grocery store probably carries Peppridge Farm and that will work just as well.
TARTE AUX POMME
APPLE TART
Sweet Short Pastry Crust
(makes pastry for one 10 inch tart pan)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup water
Place the flour and the sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the butter, broken up into small bits. Work the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the whole is crumbly , like cornmeal.
Stir in half the water and mix quickly, adding just enough more water to make the dough hold together Pat the dough into a ball with your hands. Let the dough rest while you prepare the filling.
Divide the dough in half. rollout the dough until 1/8 inch thick and lay in the pan. Fill and bake the pastry shell or bak empty using pastry weights or beans.
Filling for Tart
- 2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and slice 1/4-inch thick
- 1/4 cup Armagnac ( or brandy, rum or Calvados)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
- creme fraiche
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Sprinkle the apples slices with Armagnac and sugar. Set Aside.
Place the apples in a spiral in the bottom of the pre-baked pastry shell.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until done.
Sprinkle the vanilla sugar over the surface of the apples and place beneath the oven's broiler until caramelized. Let cool and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche on the side.
I made this for dinner guests the other day and they ate every last morsel. While I was sorry not to have any left for the next day's breakfast, I was complimented that they liked it so much.
I am very impressed. This is absolutely beautiful! I love apple tart. Very well done.
Posted by: Miranda | November 15, 2009 at 11:55 AM