We look forward to birthdays at work, especially since Wendy came on board. She was a pastry chef in her former life and, as you can imagine, turns out some phenomenal patisserie.
A few weeks ago she graced us with a French apricot almond raspberry tart (thank you Mike for being born). But not just any tart, this one had tangy fruit suspended in a baked almond cream over a sweet pastry crust. Seriously off the hook.
And be advised to make this for a group unless you want to test your will power in a serious way.
Apricot Almond Raspberry Tart
This is a perfect tart for a picnic, dinner party or potluck. The almond cream keeps it moist while the apricots and raspberries contribute a vibrant acidity. Adapted from Simply Sensational Desserts by Francois Payard.
3 tablespoons melted butter
7 fresh or canned apricots, pitted and cut into thirds
3 tablespoons sugar
1 – 1 3/4 cups Almond Cream (recipe follows)
One partially baked 9 1/2-inch tart shell made from sweet tart dough (I used this one)
1/2 pint raspberries
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush it with some of the melted butter. Arrange the apricots on the sheet, cut side up, and brush with the remaining butter. Sprinkle the apricots with the sugar. Place in the preheated oven and bake until tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool (leave the oven on).
Spread half of the almond cream into the tart shell and smooth into an even layer. Arrange the apricots, cut side up, in a pinwheel pattern, starting from the outside and working toward the center. Sprinkle the raspberries over the top and press down lightly into the cream. Spread the remaining almond cream over the fruit and sprinkle the slivered almonds over the top.
Note: the original recipe called for a total of 1 cup almond cream but if you’re like me, you’ll want to use closer to 2 cups.
Bake the tart until the filling is golden brown, about 25 minutes. If you used more than 1 cup of almond cream, it will take 30 minutes or more. Cool completely before serving.
Almond Cream
Also called frangipane, this almond cream compliments chocolate and fruits. It becomes somewhat cakey when baked and adds wonderful texture.
Makes about 2 cups
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup slivered almonds
8 1/2 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1/2 tablespoon) butter, softened
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Place 2 tablespoons of the sugar in the bowl of a food processor along with the almonds. Process until finely ground, about 1 minute.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar on high speed until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add the ground almond mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the flour until just combined. The cream can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
I admit, my mind is still on that raclette dinner we had a few nights ago. Something about it is just so… intoxicating. But I’m here to talk about one of my favorite desserts, the rustic apple tart, which, incidentally, was served that very night.
After a decadent dinner of cheese and potatoes, the last thing I wanted to dish up was a slice of chocolate sludge or caramel stickiness. Enter the apple tart. It’s not too heavy (it’s fruit based, for goodness sake) and autumnally warming. And it pleases even the most finicky palates, especially when topped with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream.
I frequently use this recipe to make 6 individual tartlets but time didn’t permit, so one large rustic tart it was! The crust (adopted from America’s Test Kitchen) includes both cream cheese and butter, plus a bit of sugar and some fresh lemon juice. It’s tender, flaky and absolutely scrumptious. And don’t worry about making it perfectly shaped – irregular is just another word for rustic.
Rustic Apple Tart
This tart is a great finish to almost any meal.
Tart Dough:
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into ½-inch chunks
4 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into ½-inch chunks
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
2 large or 3 medium Granny Smith apples
2 large or 3 medium sweet variety apples (McIntosh, Fuji, etc)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg white, lightly beaten
In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add butter and cream cheese; pulse until mixture resembles small peas (at this point, it will not form a cohesive ball). Pour into a medium bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and 1 tablespoon ice water. Using a fork, lightly mix until liquid is evenly distributed and a small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in your hand, adding up to 2 tablespoons more ice water if necessary. Note: mixture will still look a bit dry.
Turn dough onto a clean work surface and gather into a cohesive ball. Flatten into a 6-inch disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Transfer to refrigerator and let chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from refrigerator (if it was refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, let it stand at room temperature until it’s malleable). On a lightly floured surface, roll dough with a floured rolling pin into a 15-inch circle. Transfer to a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making apple filling.
Peel, core and slice apples into ¼-inch slices. In a medium bowl, toss apples with lemon juice, ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon.
To Assemble, arrange apple slices in a circular, overlapping pattern around pastry, thick edges out, leaving a 3-inch border. Continue concentric, overlapping circles until you reach the middle. Fold dough border over the outside of filling, pleating it to fit snugly over the apples. When finished, gently press down to reinforce the shape.
Bake on the middle of oven for 30 minutes (tart will be pale golden at this point). Brush crust with beaten egg white and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar. You may also want to place tart pan onto a second baking sheet of the same size to ensure that bottom of crust doesn’t get too brown. Return to oven and bake until apples are tender and crust is a deep golden brown, about 30 more minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes. Slice and serve slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
