Description
Inspired by Saveur.
Notes:
- To make Cinnamon Snails: Roll out pie dough scraps into a rectangle. Spread with a layer of butter. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar. Roll into a spiral. Cut crosswise into slices. Bake at 375º for 10 to 15 minutes — just keep an eye on them; they brown quickly at the end.
- If you have extra frangipane, broil a slice of brioche, flip it over, broil it now spread with extra frangipane topped with apple slices sprinkled with sugar until it’s golden and delicious. Yum.
- While the apricot glaze gives the final tart a nice sheen, I prefer it without it.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional — this is my addition. I love a little sugar in a tart shell.)
- 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled, divided
- 1/4 tsp. table salt
- 5 to 7 apples, such as Honey Crisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady, peeled, cored, and halved
- 1/4 cup sugar
for the frangipane, (optional):
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 egg (small if possible)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla, rum, brandy or bourbon
for finishing:
- 1/2 cup apricot jam, optional (not recommended)
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Making the pastry: Combine flour, sugar, 8 tbsp. butter, and salt in a food processor and pulse until pea-size crumbles form, about 10 pulses. Drizzle in 3 tbsp. ice-cold water and pulse until dough is moistened, about 3 to 4 pulses. (Do not pulse so much that the dough forms a mass — see the photo above with the food processor. It will clump together when you form it into a disk.) Don’t wash the food processor!
- Transfer dough to a work surface and form into a flat disk; if you aren’t using it immediately, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to three days. Otherwise, transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, flatten dough into a 13″ circle and then transfer to a 11″ tart pan with a removable bottom; trim edges; chill for 1 hour. (Note: My tart pan is 9 inches, but I still roll it out to about 13 inches.)
- Combine almond flour, sugar, salt, butter and egg in the dirty bowl of the food processor. Pulse until combined, then add vanilla or alcohol. Purée until smooth.
- Heat oven to 375º. Spread a thin layer (about 2 tablespoons) of the frangipane across the bottom surface of your tart shell. Working with one apple half at a time, thinly slice into sections, keeping slices together. Press sliced apple half gently to fan it out; repeat with remaining apple halves. Place 1 fanned apple half on outer edge of the tart dough, pointing inward; repeat with 7 more apple halves (or as many as you are able to fit — with a smaller tart pan, you won’t be able to fit as many). Separate remaining apple slices. Starting where the apple halves touch and working your way in, layer apples to create a tight rose pattern. Fill in any gaps with remaining apple.
- Sprinkle with sugar (I do not use the full 1/4 cup. Use as much or as little as you like. If your apples are really sweet, you won’t need a full 1/4 cup; if you’re using a 9-inch tart pan, you also likely won’t need a full 1/4 cup.) Dot with remaining butter — this seems like a lot of butter, and you certainly could cut back, but I think it adds flavor. Bake until golden brown, 60—70 minutes. (I do 70.)
- If you’re doing the apricot glaze: heat apricot jam in a small saucepan until warmed and loose; pour through a fine strainer into a small bowl and set aside. Transfer tart to a wire rack; using a pastry brush, brush top of tart with jam. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with whipped cream.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: French
