Seasonal Recipe – Tarte Aux Pomme

Like many people, this is one of my all time favourites. The smell is the apples cooking always evokes memories of autumn time. I have made this extra decadent by caramelising the apples in the centre.

It was one of the first dishes I chose for my most recent book ‘Nostalgic Delights’, published by Jacqui Small (view here).

Tarte Aux Pomme                        Makes 2 Tarts (each serves 6-8)

Recipes:     Pate Sucre, Caramelised apples

Other Ingredients: 6 Golden Delicious Apples (peeled and cored), clarified butter, icing sugar, apricot nappage

You will also need: 160mm tart ring

Caramelized apples

200g          Caster sugar

6                Golden Delicious apples (peeled and cored)

60g            butter

30ml          Calvados

Pâte Sucrée

250g unsalted butter (room temperature, cubed)

200g icing sugar, sieved

3 g salt

100g whole eggs

500g flour, sieved

1. Beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth.
2. Gradually incorporate the eggs making sure that the mixture does not split and the mixture is fully emulsified.
3. Fold in the flour and mix to a smooth homogeneous mass. Take the dough from the mixing bowl and make into a block, wrap in cling film.
4. Place into the fridge to rest for 2-3 hours

To Prepare and Assemble

Prepare the pastry:

1. Beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth.
2. Gradually incorporate the eggs making sure that the mixture does not split and the mixture is fully emulsified.
3. Fold in the flour and mix to a smooth homogeneous mass. Take the dough from the mixing bowl and make into a block, wrap in cling film.
4. Place into the fridge to rest for 2-3 hours

Next, prepare the caramelized apples:

5. Peel and core the apples. Cut each apple into 12 chunks. Heat a heavy based saucepan, add 1/3^rd of the sugar and cook to a light caramel, stirring occasionally. Gradually add the remaining sugar. Cook until an amber caramel forms then stir in the butter. Toss in the prepared apples, stir and continue to cook over a low heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the Calvados and remove from the heat. Leave the apples to cool in the caramel until ready to use.

6. Remove the rested dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 3mm thick. Line the tart cases and trim the excess pastry. Place onto a tray lined with a non-stick baking mat. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

7. Prepare the apple slices for the top of the tarts. Cut each apple in half and cut into 1mm thick slices.

8. Preheat the oven to 180’C. Drain the caramelised apples to remove the excess caramel.

9. Remove the rested tart cases from the fridge and place the chunks of caramelised apple into the tart case ensuring that they are level.

10. To place the apple onto the top of the tart, fan out each prepared sliced half and place in an overlapping spiral on top of the tart, starting from the outside and going towards the centre. Liberally brush clarified butter onto the apples and dust with icing sugar.

11. Bake for 30-35 minutes in the oven until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before demoulding from the tart cases. Use a sharp knife to score along the edge of the tart rings as leaked caramel can sometimes stick the pastry to the sides of the tart ring.

12. To finish, melt the apricot nappage and glaze the top of each tart.

13. Best served the same day