Apple Tart and Pie

Apple and Browned Butter Tart

Ingredients

* 1 recipe Sweet Pastry
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 5 large Honeycrisp apples, cored and cut into 8 wedges each (3 1/2 pounds)
* 1/2 cup butter
* 3 egg yolks
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Prepare Sweet Pastry. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten the pastry dough. Roll from center to edges into a circle 12 inches in diameter. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Ease pastry into pan without stretching it. Press pastry into fluted sides of tart pan and trim edges. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 5 minutes more or until crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

2. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar. Cook and stir constantly, until sugar begins to brown. Add apple wedges. Cook and stir for 10 to 12 minutes or until apples are lightly caramelized. Remove skillet from heat.

3. In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, without stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes more or until butter becomes brown and fragrant. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

4. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and almond extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until mixture is thickened. Beat in 1/3 cup flour on low speed. Add browned butter and beat on low speed until just combined.

5. Spread custard mixture into pre-baked crust. Remove apple wedges from skillet with a slotted spoon and arrange in an attractive pattern atop the custard. Drizzle any remaining cooking liquid in the skillet over the apples. Cover edges of pastry with foil. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until custard is puffed and set in the center. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Sweet Pastry: Place a steel blade in a food processor. Add 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cover and process until just combined. Add 1/2 cup cut up butter. Cover and process with on/off turns until pieces are pea-size. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons whipping cream and 1 lightly beaten egg yolk. With the food processor running, quickly add the whipping cream mixture through the feed tube. Stop food processor as soon as the mixture is added; scrape down sides. Process with 2 on/off turns (mixture may not be all moistened). Remove dough from the bowl; shape into a disc. If necessary, cover and chill for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Source BHG

 

Apple Pie:

Pastry
2 cups  all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water
Filling
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (8 medium)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions

In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).

Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half; shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.

Heat oven to 425°F. With floured rolling pin, roll one pastry round into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

In large bowl, mix sugar, 1/4 cup flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in apples until well mixed. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over filling. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of plate.

Roll other round of pastry into 10-inch round. Fold into fourths and cut slits so steam can escape. Unfold top pastry over filling; trim overhanging edge 1 inch from rim of plate. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute as desired. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Serve warm if desired.