This classic French apple tart is a hit for either an elegant dinner or a family meal.
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Normandy apple tart
t This classic French apple tart combines the subtle taste of almonds with golden, caramelized apple, and can be enjoyed warm or cold.
Ingredients:
t Pastry:
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- 7 ounces plain flour
- 4 ounces butter or shortening (1 stick)
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-3 tablespoons cold water
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t Filling:
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- 4 ounces butter (1 stick)
- 4 ounces sugar
- 4 ounces ground almonds
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 beaten egg
- 2 teaspoons brandy or kirsch (optional)
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t To finish:
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- Confectioner’s sugar
- Creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream
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Directions:
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- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 9-inch flan or tart tin.
- To make the pastry, put the flour and butter in a large bowl and rub together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. This can be done in a food processor.
- Add the egg yolk and enough of the cold water to make a firm pastry.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a disk that is about 2 inches bigger than your flan tin.
- Line the flan tin with the pastry, pressing firmly into the corners. Trim the edges.
- For the filling, put the butter and flour in a medium bowl and beat together until it is pale and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Gradually add the beaten egg and egg yolk, combining well. If it looks like it is not coming together, add a little of the ground almond.
- Beat in the brandy or kirsch and mix in the ground almonds and flour to make a stiff paste.
- Spread the almond paste into the bottom of the pastry, smoothing it out on the top.
- Peel, core and quarter the apples and slice them thinly keeping each quarter together. Fan each quarter so that it looks like a petal and press down firmly in the almond mixture. Repeat to make 5 apple “petals”. For the center, either do the same again with another quarter or make concentric rings with the slices to make a rose shape or flower center.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees F and bake until the almond mix is firm and the apple slices are golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- When the tart is cold, dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve with creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.
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