French Apple Tart

FRENCH APPLE TART WITH FRANGIPANE

• Author: Camille
 
• Prep Time: 60 minutes
 
• Chill Time: 90 minutes
 
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
 
• Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
 
• Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
 
• Category: Tarts

INGREDIENTS

For the Pate Sucree (Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)

• 113 g unsalted butter, room temp (65 F)
• 55 g powdered sugar
• 30 g egg
• 1/4 tsp Morton’s kosher salt
• 170 g all-purpose flour

Frangipane (Almond Cream) Filling

• 70 g almond flour
• 70 g egg
• 70 g unsalted butter, room temp
• 70 g granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp almond emulsion or extract

For the Apple Filling

• 7 Honey Crisp Apples, peeled and cored (or similar apples, like Granny Smith)
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Juice of half a lemon
• 28 g unsalted butter, melted (2 Tbs)
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Fruit Glaze

• 85 g apricot jam
• 2–3 Tbs water
• Vanilla Ice Cream (for serving)
• Homemade Carmel (for serving)

INSTRUCTIONS

To Make the Pate Sucree Crust

1. Cream the butter and sugar on low in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
2. Add the egg and mix. It will look curdled, but that is okay.
3. Combine dry ingredients and add to the mixer in 2 additions. Mix just until combined. Remove the dough from the mixer and shape into a flat round disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. If the dough chills for more than an hour, let the dough sit out for 20-30 minutes so that it is easier to work with. The dough gets really firm when it chills for a long time.
5. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12 inche circle.
6. Fold the dough gently in half and then place in the 9.5 -inch tart pan. Press the dough into the pan along the bottom and against the sides.
7. Remove the excess dough along the edges with the palm of your hand or a knife. Prick the bottom with a fork in several places, and then freeze for an hour.
8. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line frozen tart with parchment and pie weights. Bake for 25 minutes(not fully cooked).
9. Remove parchment and pie weights, then cool completely before filling.

To Make the Frangipane (Almond Cream Filling)

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
2. Add the almond flour and mix. Finish by mixing in the egg and almond emulsion. The frangipane should have a very spreadable consistency. Set aside and make the apple filling.

For the Apple Filling

1. Peel, core, and slice apples thinly with a mandolin or by hand to 1/16 inch thick. 
2. Mix the apples with the sugar, lemon juice, salt, and cinnamon and place in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat and let the juices naturally reduce for 5-10 minutes. Apple should be bendable and softer, but not mushy or fully cooked.
3. Remove apples from the skillet and place in a bowl. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes.

To Assemble the Tart

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour frangipane into the cooled tart shell, and smooth out the filling so it’s even.
3. Next, place the apples in the tart shell with the flat end of each apple slice sticking down into the frangipane (the curved part of the apples should be up on top). Overlap the apples by 1/3 to 1/2 all the way around the tart. Continue to fill the tart until the tart is full.
4. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges of the tart crust are golden brown. If the apples begin to burn on the edges, lightly cover the top of the tart with a piece of foil.
6. Remove tart from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. Meanwhile, warm the apricot jam and water in a small pot until jam has melted. Use a pastry brush to brush the top of the apples with jam to give them a beautiful shine.
7. Allow the tart to cool for an hour or longer to be fully set. It’s best eaten warm with a scoop of ice cream.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature. The crust will soften after a few days, so it’s best eaten within the first 2 days for the optimal texture.

 https://bakerstreetsociety.com/french-apple-tart-with-frangipane/#google_vignette

Very Lemony Meringue Pie

Very Lemony Meringue Pie

1 ¼ c. sugar

1/3 c. cornstarch

1 c. cold water

3 egg yolks

1 c. lemon juice

3 TBS. butter/margarine

1 pastry shell (9-in.) baked

Meringue:

1 TBS. cornstarch

1/3 c. cold water

3 egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla

dash salt

6 TBS. sugar

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks to temper the eggs (so they don't scramble). Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.

Remove from the heat. Add lemon juice and butter; stir until butter is melted and mixture is blended. Pour hot filling into baked pastry shell.

In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened, about 2 min. Remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites, vanilla and salt until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar, one tablespoon at a time, on medium speed until soft peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Gradually beat in cornstarch mixture, a tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form.

Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust. Bake at 325* for 18-20 minutes or until meringue is golden. Cool on a wire rack for an hour. Refrigerate pie for at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 6-8 servings.

French Silk Chocolate Pie

French Silk Chocolate Pie

Crust:

1 recipe pie crust (can use prepared refrigerated crust)

Filling:

3 oz. Unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces

1 c. butter, softened (do not use margarine)

1 c. sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

4 PASTEURIZED eggs or 1 c. refrigerated or frozen fat-free egg product, thawed

Topping:

½ c. sweetened whipped cream

Chocolate curls, if desired

1. Heat oven to 450*. Prepare pie crust for one-crust baked shell using a 9-in. glass pie pan. Bake at 450* for 9-11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 30min. or until completely cooled.
2. Melt chocolate in small saucepan over low heat; cool. In small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla;blend well.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at high speed for 2 minutes after each addition. Beat until mixture is smooth and fluffy. Pour into cooled, baked shell. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Top with whipped cream and chocolate curls. Store in refrigerator. Makes 10 servings.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

1 2/3 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 9 crackers)

¼ c. sugar

1/3 c. soft butter/margarine

Blend ingredients well with fork. Press mixture into 9-in. pie pan, sides and bottom evenly. Make at 375* for 8 minutes, cool.

For no bake crust: chill in refrigerator for 30min. before using. Fill with chilled pie filling or freeze for ice cream pie.

Sachi's Pie Crust

After years of making pie crust, I have modified my grandfather's recipe to come up with a pie crust I love.


Sachi's Pie Crust

4 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/4 cup shortening (I use butter flavored crisco)
1/2 cup COLD butter, cubed (right out of the refrigerator, I cube it by slicing the whole cube into about 5 slices hot dog ways then turning it over onto the other side and doing 5 more hot dog length slices, so you have match sticks then cut across down the log so you end up with tiny squares)

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. Cut in the cold butter. *getting a good crumb is the most important part of making a pie, in my opinion, because when the butter and shortening melt, that's where you get the flakiness.

Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, then sprinkle over the flour and shortening mixture. Mix all together with a FORK until a ball of dough is formed. *It's a scraping, mixing motion, you're trying to make sure you don't ruin the pockets of lard. Think fluffing rice motion.

Wrap in saranwrap and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes before use. Makes two double crusts (top and bottom) or four single crusts. *Keeps in the refrigerator for about a week.

Bake at temperature directed for pie. I like to sprinkle my crust with sugar--might as well if you're going to indulge in baked goods!

Apple Pie Filling
6 large cooking apples
3/4 c. sugar
2 TBS. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 TBS. butter

Cook on stovetop until almost to desired doneness. Fill in pie crust. Bake at 430 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pie Crust (the original)
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. shortening
1/4 c. cold water
1 egg
1 tsp. vinegar

Mix four and salt together. Cut in shortening until resembles coarse bread crumbs. Mix in separate bowl: egg, vinegar and water. Pour into other ingredients and mix with fork until comes together. Refrigerate 1/2 hr. or until firm.

Fresh Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Fresh Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

2 ½ cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 small package strawberry Jell-O
4 cups sliced strawberries
5 cups sliced rhubarb stalks (leaves of rhubarb are poisonous)
2 tablespoons margarine melted

Mix everything together. Split the filling into two pie shells. Cover with a top shell of pie dough and brush the top crust with egg white, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 50 minutes.

Pie Crust

Pie Crust

4 to 4 ¼ cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1 Tablespoon vinegar
½ cup water
1 ¾ cup shortening

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, then sprinkle over the flour and shortening mixture. Mix all together until a ball of dough is formed. Wrap in wax paper and chill for about 30 minutes before use. Makes two double crusts (top and bottom) or four single crusts. *Keeps in the refrigerator for about a week, but in the freezer, it will keep for three months or so.

Apple Pie

I usually only make one pie at a time, so the filling is only for one pie. This is Ojiichan's trick for a beautiful pie. Cook the apples on the stovetop first.

Apple Filling:
2-3 hard-fleshed apples and 2-3 soft-fleshed apples (depending on size) I usually use what is on sale, but I didn't really like the jonagold, too water-logged. I like braeburn or pink lady... don't use red or golden delicious or Fuji. I don't like sour pie, and don't like to add a lot of sugar so I don't use Granny Smith's either. Really, you're looking for a balance of texture so the soft apples cook down and the hard give it more body.

Juice of half an orange (or to taste)
Dash of salt
Sugar to taste
Pumpkin pie seasoning and cinnamon to taste
Enough flour to thicken (about 1/8th cup, maybe more)
Apple juice (enough to thin it out to your liking, maybe start with 1/8th cup, just enough to keep the apples from burning/sticking to the bottom)
Butter to taste (honestly, I probably put in 1/8 c.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (add at the end of cooking)

Core, skin and slice apples. Dump into a pot with everything but butter, juice and vanilla extract. Mix to coat. Add juice and butter. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly (so you don't burn the sugar) until apples are ALMOST to desired softness (usually 30 minutes, depending on how soft you want them). Add vanilla extract. Pile into prepared crust. I admit, on top of the butter in the filling, I dot the top with a little butter (maybe 2 TBS) before putting the top crust on. Slit holes in top of pie to vent. Sprinkle crust with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees until crust is golden, about 20-30 minutes.