Desserts
Apple Tart with frangipane
What do you get when apples, almonds, and a tender crust combine? An out-of-this-world Apple Tart. And don’t fret, we’re here to walk you through the process, step-by-step.
The cookie-like crust comes together quickly in the food processor. One tiny tip: chill the dough after mixing and before parbaking. It will roll out more easily and won’t be as apt to sink down the sides of the pan when baking. And if the crust breaks when placing it into the pan, simply patch it together.
And don’t put that food processor away just yet; fire it up to make frangipane. Frangipane [FRAN-juh-payn], is a sweet pastry filling made with ground almonds. Simply process the ingredients until it resembles natural peanut butter.
Clustered apple slices adorn the frangipane, giving the tart a rustic look. Dotting the tart with butter and sprinkling some brown sugar over top seals the deal. Once the tart bakes to perfection, be sure to brush on the apple glaze as the final ta-da. It not only helps to preserve the look and freshness of the apples, the glaze also adds another burst of sweet apple flavor.
Ingredients
PULSE:
WHISK:
MEANWHILE, PULSE:
ADD:
ARRANGE:
MELT:
Test Kitchen Tip
You don’t need to peel the apples before slicing them. When you leave the skins on, it adds a little color to this tasty tart (and a little extra fiber).
What is Calvados?
Calvados is an apple brandy from the Normandy region in France. A more affordable option is Laird’s Applejack.
Instructions
Pulse 1¼ cups flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ tsp. salt in a food processor to combine. Add 8 Tbsp. cold butter and pulse until mixture forms a fine meal.
Whisk together egg yolk and cream. With the machine running, pour in the yolk mixture and process just until mixture forms a ball. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Roll out dough on a floured surface to about ⅛-inch thick. Transfer dough to a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing into bottom and up sides.
Trim overhanging dough to 1-inch, then fold in, pressing into the sides to create a thick edge. Scrape excess dough away with the back of paring knife (see photo below).
Dock bottom of crust with a fork, cover with plastic wrap, then freeze 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Line crust with parchment, then fill with dried beans or pie weights.
Bake crust on a baking sheet 15 minutes; remove from oven.
Decrease oven temperature to 350°.
Meanwhile, pulse 1 cup almonds, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. flour, and ¼ tsp. salt in a food processor until smooth.
Add 8 Tbsp. softened butter, 2 eggs, and almond extract, process until smooth, then evenly spread frangipane onto crust.
Arrange apple slices on top of frangipane, dot apples with 2 Tbsp. diced butter, and sprinkle brown sugar over top.
Bake tart on a baking sheet until frangipane is golden, about 40–45 minutes.
Melt jelly with brandy in a saucepan over medium until smooth; brush on apples and top with almonds.
Have you wondered why recipes call for cubes of butter when making a dough? They incorporate into the dough quickly with the least amount of melting.
Process the butter using quick pulses so that the flour is about the size of cornmeal. The quick blasts keep the butter from melting.
To prevent overheating (which melts the butter) and over mixing the dough, process it just until the dough clumps into a ball.
For a clean edge, after folding in the excess crust, use the back of a paring knife to scrape the excess dough from the top of the tart pan.
To keep the crust’s shape while parbaking, lay parchment on the crust and weigh it down with dried beans.
Toasting almonds enhances their flavor, but remember, nuts can burn quickly, so keep an eye on them.
Melt jelly with brandy until smooth. This makes it easier to brush on the apples after the tart bakes.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 384
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 86mg 28%
Sodium 112mg 4%
Carbs 41g 13%
Protein 5g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.