I made this tarte aux pommes (apple tart) for my husband’s birthday. I used Prue Leith’s recipe from the great British baking show with a few little modifications. There are many versions of this tarte, but we really enjoyed this one. It had great apple flavor thanks to the apple puree layer, and it wasn’t overly sweet.
This tart consists of pate brisee for the crust, topped with a layer of homemade apple puree, then topped with frangipane (an almond custard of sorts), and then sliced apples dipped in lemon syrup.
A few key points for this recipe. I find tart/pie dough is always easier to work with if you make it a day ahead and rest it overnight in the fridge. This recipe uses ground almonds, or almond meal, for the frangipane layer. This is not the same as almond flour. It is less finely ground. I like the bit of texture you get from the ground almonds to offset the apple puree.
Like many fruit tarts, this one gets brushed with diluted apricot jam at the end to seal the fruit and keep it looking shiny and fresh (this is called nappage). It is a good idea to thin and strain your jam before brushing. You should only see a shiny glaze, not lumps of jam like you can see in my pic 🙂 I skipped that step because I was rushing a bit, and you can definitely tell the difference.
This tart was really delicious and we all enjoyed it. I had never made an apple flower like the one at the center before and it was fun to try.
Tarte Aux Pommes
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter cold
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-4 tbsp ice water
For the apple puree:
- 600 g eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces I used Macintosh apples and this was about 4 apples
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
For the lemon syrup:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup water
For the fragipane:
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter room temp
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup ground almonds or almond meal
- 2 tbsp brandy
For the topping:
- 4 large red skinned apples very thinly sliced
- apricot jam
Instructions
For the syrup:
- Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for a few minutes. Allow to cool.
For the tart dough:
- Whisk flour and salt together. Cut butter into small cubes and work it into the flour until it resembles large bread crumbs. Whisk the yolk with 2 tbsp of the water and sprinkle over the flour. Toss with a fork and gently press to see if it is coming together. If it is very dry and crumbly add another tbsp or two of water until you can get a cohesive mass, but the dough should still be on the crumbly side. Shape into a round and wrap in plastic wrap overnight.
- When ready to use, preheat oven to 350. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured counter and place into tart pan, removing the excess dough from the edges. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes, then line with parchment and pie weights or beans, and blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and brush with egg white, then return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. This helps to keep the crust from getting soggy. Allow to fully cool before using.
For the puree:
- Combine the apples, butter and lemon juice in a small pan over low heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, keeping an eye on it and stirring so it doesn't burn. The liquid should have evaporated. Mash with a potato masher into some of the apples break down, but you want some chunky texture here so don't mash too much. Allow this mixture to cool completely.
For the frangipane:
- Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until pale and creamy. Add the egg and mix well again. With the mixer on low, add the almond meal and the brandy and gently mix.
To assemble:
- Spread the cooled puree in the bottom of the blind baked tart shell. Spread the frangipane on top. Thinly slice the remaining apples (I used a mandolin), and toss them in the lemon syrup. Arrange in a spiral on top of the tart, and use some extra thin slices to make a flower in the center. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
- After baking, cool for 5 minutes while you make your nappage. Heat 1/2 cup apricot jam over medium heat with a tbsp of water to return it to a syrup. Pour through a fine mesh strainer and then use a pastry brush to coat the top of the tart with the syup. Allow to cool for at least an hour. Cut into slices and serve.
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