No Need For An Excuse To Have Some Tart

On October 20, 2012 · 1 Comment Cooking, Featured

Ever since I’m back from Paris the most attractive dish I keep making is tart. “Why won’t you make Tarte Aux Pommes for us?” I keep hearing. There’s no reason why not. It’s very simple and so delicious. I expected that after one batch there will be more requests so I made enough dough to last for 4 tarts, at least. Also it was a first time for me using the food processor for the dough. Until then I always made the dough by hand. It was a little messy because I tried to put the whole 1kg of flour in it and it didn’t fit, so I separated into two batches. The main ingredients for a tart dough are: flour, butter, yolks, sugar, salt and some cold water. See step by step here.

After the dough is ready I divided it by 4 and put two parts in the freezer. The First two tarts were classics: “Tarte Normande” and “Tarte au Poire”.

Peeling apples and keeping them in acidic water with lemon so that they will no go brown in the meantime.

Cutting them to quarters, removing the core

Caramelizing with butter, sugar, and flambé with cherry liquor (didn’t have any calvados)

Still firm but caramelized apples, chilling down

In the meantime, the dough is rolled

Little holes with a fork

Upside down in a tart mold, which is already buttered and floured (I prefer “flouring” sweet tarts molds with sugar instead of flour)

Ready for the next step

My batter was liquidy because I used ‘almond butter’ instead of almond powder. Also went in: liquid cream, egg, vanilla, sugar (not too much)

The apples and pears are sunken in

I cut the pears and left them natural

Sprinkle some almond shreds and into the oven 180-200 degrees

For how long… until it’s ready (took more than 30 minutes because of the thickness

The tarts are out to cool down

First tart was promised for Rosh Hashana dinner. This is what we had…

Mom made antipasti from butternut squash and zucchini

Nice asparagus with butter and lemon

Alon and Lali made chicken with paprika and cream sauce (HMM!!) and gratin of potatoes

Powder the Tart Normande with sugar

A fitting dessert for Rosh Hashana because of the apples

Served with vanilla ice-cream

…

The next day we took the next tart to Cesarea for yet another family meal. This is what we had…

Ariel cooked these delicious sea breams with vegetables in the oven. Heavenly!

I ate it all!! By myself!

After a little swim, we were ready for the dessert – Tart au Poire

Served with a shot of limoncello

Pears and almonds are a great combination

…

I had a bit of leftover dough from both of the tarts. I decided to make another tart instead of cookies. Well… a “second hand” dough is not perfect, this type of dough is better left minimum worked on. But it turned out not bad. I used the only fruits left at that time in the kitchen – apples and plums.

Peeling the apples with one strand – my dad taught me that.

The best parts of the apples I cut nice and fine

As well with the plums

All the rest chopped not too finely and to make a little compot

I cooked it slowly with some cinnamon and let it rest

Then I mixed it with the regular cream batter for the inside of the tart to be interesting, first time I tried this combination.

Rolling the dough again

It almost wasn’t enough to cover the whole mold…

Not that pretty but this is how the leftover tarts can get

Filling with the batter of apples, almonds and cream

Arranging apples and plums and to the oven

Ready when a stick comes out dry out of the middle

This is how it came out

I decided to glaze it but the only thing I could think of was a wine jelly we got for the holidays. I melted some in the microwave and glazed the tart with a brush.