Apple Tart - step by step

It's a simple and elegant apple tart. Delicate yet with character thanks to cinnamon. Not too sweet and calling for a glass of good white dessert wine. Or a dollop of whipped cream. It disappeared within 2 hours after baking... Is there anything else I need to write to encourage you to try it out? I hope not :) Let's get to work then...

Apple Tart

Makes 1 tart (27cm in diameter).

For shortcrust pastry - pâte brisée by Pierre Hermé*:
188g butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
250g plain white flour
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 scant teaspoon caster sugar

50ml full fat milk at room temperature

                                     

Other ingredients:

1kg apples (I used Granny Smith which are crisp, firm and sour)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar - important: taste the apples - some might need adding more sugar.
1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon whipping (single) cream


1. Place the butter in a bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon to soften. Stir in the salt and egg yolk. Stir the sugar into the milk in a bowl. Pour this onto the softened butter in a thin stream, stirring constantly.
2. Sift the flour into a shallow bowl and steadily stir it into the butter mixture. Mix by stirring with a wooden spoon or gently bring it together by hand in the bowl.
3. On a floured work surface and using the palm of your hand, lightly knead the pastry just until it forms a soft, moist dough. Ligthness of hand and speed are very important, and the whole process shouldn't take longer than 4-5minutes or the pastry will be tough.
4. Shape the dough into 2 balls, one larger (around 300-350g), one smaller. Then flatten  them slightly, and wrap in cling film. Leave in the fridge to rest for at least 2 hours. The resting time in the refrigerator gives the gluten in the flour a chance to relax. Effective chilling will prevent the dough from shrinking too much when it goes into the hot oven.

5. After the chilling time, roll the bigger dough out between two large sheets of baking parchment. Make sure to lift the top sheet of parchment from time to time so that it doesn't crease into the dough. When it's 3-5mm thick, move each piece into the bottom of the pan. Cut off  the excess pastry.
6. Press the pastry into and up the sides of the ring. If the dough splits or cracks as you work, then simply patch the split with small scraps of pastry using your fingers to glue them into place. Don't strech the pastry. Prick the base all over with a fork. Refrigerate for 30minutes.

7. Wash and peel the apples. Then grate them into a pan. Add cinnamon and sugar, taste the apples, if necessary add more sugar. Cook the apples on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until they become soft (but not mushy!)

8. Cut out a circle of baking parchment slightly larger than the tart ring or tin. Fold the disc in half several times to make a triangular shape, then clip the outer edge with scissors. Clipping the edge ensures a close fit against the rim when the paper is placed in the tart ring.

9. Take the tart pan with the pastry out from the fridge. Cover the base and sides of the pastry with the prepared baking parchment, taking the paper above the sides of the ring. Fill with dried beans- the tarts will keep the form and won't rise during baking.

10. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 18-20minutes. After that time it will be partially baked. Let it cool down a bit on a rack.

11. Fill in the crust with the apple mixture till the brim.

12. Take out the smaller pastry ball out of the fridge. Roll it out between two large sheets of baking parchment until it's 3mm thick. To form a lattice top cut 1 cm strips out of the pastry lid. Lay them across the pie. Fold back every second vertical strip and lay a new horizontal strip across the strips that have not been folded. Lay the folded back strips back down. Then repeat folding back the vertical strips that were not folded in the previous round. Cover the rest of the pie. With a pastry brush, lightly coat the top with the egg yolk mixed with cream.

 13. Bake the apple tart for 30 minutes 180°C or until the top is golden. Let it cool down on the rack thouroughly before cutting! (Yup, I know, it's _very_ difficult especially if you have vanilla ice-cream waiting for you in the fridge.)

*recipe comes from "The Cook's Book"