FRENCH APPLE TART

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
• Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

APPLE TART

Steps:

• In a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, heat 3/4 cup sugar, stirring constantly until it is liquefied and golden brown. Remove from the heat. , In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon and remaining sugar. Arrange half the apples in a single layer in skillet. Sprinkle with half the sugar mixture. Arrange half the remaining apples in circular pattern over sugar; sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Place remaining apples over all, keeping the top as level as possible. Dot with butter. , Roll out dough to 11-in. circle; place over apples, pressing gently to completely cover. Do not flute. Bake at 400° until apples are tender and golden brown, about 50 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

ROSE APPLE TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the butter pieces on top, and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and pulse until incorporated. Pulse in the water, about 2 teaspoons at a time, until the dough starts to hold together. It will appear to be a bit crumbly, but should hold together easily when pressed.
• Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, and pour the dough mixture into it. Press the mixture evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Use a lightly floured straight-sided measuring cup to help press the dough into the corners of the pan.) Reserve extra dough to repair any cracks after the shell is baked.
• Freeze the formed dough in the pan until completely firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Line the tart shell with a piece of aluminum foil, making sure to tuck it into the corners and over the edges. Bake the shell for 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough appears dry and lightly golden. If the dough puffs up while baking, gently press it back into the pan with an offset spatula or similar tool. If necessary, repair any cracks with the remaining raw dough. Cool slightly while you prepare the apples.
• Cut the apples from their cores in 3 pieces: Stand the apples up, with the stems facing up, and, using a sharp knife, cut 1 face of the apple, then rotate the apple about 120 degrees, slice again, and finally slice the last piece from the core. You should have a triangle-shaped piece of core left and 3 pieces of apple with flat bottoms.
• Reserve a smaller piece of apple, and carefully slice all the other apples into very thin half-moons, about 1/8-inch thick. (A mandoline makes this move quickly, but, if you are using a knife and working slowly, it's a good idea to squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the sliced apples to prevent browning.) Make sure to keep the slices together as you cut to make the assembly easier.
• Once the apples are sliced, build the tart: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon sugar on the bottom of the blind-baked tart shell. Starting at the outer edge, arrange the apples in tight concentric circles, overlapping each slice about halfway over its neighbor. Take care to stand the apples up vertically, with the cut edges down and the peel edge pointing up. Pack the rows very tightly, stopping periodically to check your work.
• As you move toward the center, the apples will become trickier to bend into place. If you find the slices are breaking, slice the reserved piece of apple even thinner to make it easier to bend. Roll the last few slices into a circle and tuck it in the center.
• Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt over the apple slices. Take care to sprinkle the sugar between the apple slices, rather than on top. Scatter the butter pieces on top, and bake the tart for 40 to 45 minutes or until the apples begin to brown just slightly on the edges and the crust is a deep golden brown. Check the tart periodically to make sure the shell is not over-browning at the edges. If it is, cover the edges with foil.
• Cool the tart on a rack for about 10 minutes, then prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan, warm the jam and a few drops of water over medium-low heat until it is runny. Use a pastry brush to very gently brush the warm tart with jam. Avoid brushing jam on the crust, but a thin layer all over the apple slices. Serve warm or room temperature.

APPLE TART RUNWAY

Steps:

• For the filling:
• Prepare the puff pastry as directed in the recipe and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). When the puff pastry is ready to roll, place it on a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it into an 8 by 18-inch rectangle. Place the rectangle on the work surface with the long side facing you. Use a sharp paring knife to cut 2 (1 by 18-inch) strips from the top of the dough. Place the remaining rectangle on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.
• Egg wash: Combine the egg yolks, whole egg, and milk in a small mixing bowl and whip with a hand whisk until well combined. Use a pastry brush to brush a 1-inch border of egg wash along each long side of the rectangle on the baking sheet. Place 1 of the thin strips on each side of the rectangle, over the egg wash. Try to keep the strips straight and even. These edges will keep the filling inside the tart shell, as they rise slightly higher than the rest of the tart. Brush the tops of the 2 strips with egg wash. Use an offset spatula to spread the applesauce down the center of the tart shell.
• Filling: Peel, core, and halve the apples. Slice each half into 1/4-inch-thick slices and lay them lengthwise on the tart, overlapping the slices slightly. Use a pastry brush to brush egg wash over the tops of the apple slices. Sometimes I make a decoration along the edge of the dough on the long sides of the tart. To do this, I gently press the tips of my first and second fingers into the dough, right at the edge. Then I use the back of a paring knife to mark the spot between my 2 fingers by pushing the dough in 1/4-inch. I repeat this all along the long sides to give the tart a scalloped edge.
• Place the tart in the oven and bake until the sides have risen slightly and the tart is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Check the bottom of the tart by lifting it slightly off the parchment paper using an offset spatula. You want to be sure the bottom is fully baked or the tart will be soggy. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Use a pastry brush to glaze the tart with the apricot glaze. This will add shine and sweetness to the baked tart. It is best to serve this tart within a few hours of removing it from the oven.
• VARIATION: If you blind bake the dough, you can cover it with fresh raspberry jam and top with fresh raspberries as another alternative.
• Mix the apricot jam with the water in a small microwaveable bowl and heat on high power or in a non-reactive 1-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until liquid. Brush it on with a pastry brush. The glaze can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

THIN AND CRISP APPLE TART

Steps:

• Peel, core and cut apples on a mandoline, so the slices are extremely thin, without being see-through. In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with lemon zest, lemon juice and salt, and set aside. Heat the oven to 400, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Use about 1 tablespoon of butter to grease the parchment. Sprinkle the buttered surface evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Roll out the puff pastry to about the size of the sheet pan, using a light dusting of flour if the dough is sticky, then place on top of the parchment. Arrange the apple slices on top of the pastry so that they overlap in rows, crowding as much apple in as you can and going all the way to the edges of the pastry.
• Bake for 25 minutes, then cut remaining butter into 8 or so pieces and scatter over the top of the apples. Mix the remaining sugar with cinnamon, if using, and sprinkle evenly all over the top. Return tart to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the apples are tender and just starting to color at their edges and the pastry is brown and cooked through underneath (lift a corner to check). If you want to color the apples more, leave the tart under the broiler for a minute or two. Using the parchment paper to lift the tart out, gently slide it out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. Let it to come down to room temperature before slicing.

FRENCH APPLE TART

Steps:

• For the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl until crumbly. Mix in the egg until it forms a dough, then form into a puck shape. Cover and chill for at least 30 mins. Will keep chilled for two days.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to roughly the thickness of a £1 coin, and use to line a 23cm fluted tart tin, leaving some overhanging. Line with a disc of baking parchment big enough to cover the edges, and fill with some baking beans to weigh it down (use dried rice or lentils if you don't have baking beans). Bake for 15 mins, then remove the parchment and beans and bake for 10-15 mins more until the pastry is biscuity. Trim away any overhanging pastry with a serrated knife. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, set aside four of the apples, then peel, core and roughly chop the rest. Put them in a shallow saucepan with 2 tbsp water, all but 1 tbsp of the sugar and the alcohol, if using. Cover and cook over a low heat for 25-30 mins, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed, until the apples have collapsed into a purée. Taste the mixture and sweeten with more sugar, if needed.
• Turn the oven up to 210C/190C fan/gas 8. Peel, core and halve the reserved apples, then cut into even-sized slices. Spread the apple purée over the base of the tart case, then arrange the apple slices in neat, concentric circles, starting from the outside. Brush the apples with butter, then scatter over the reserved sugar and bake for another 20-25 mins until golden.
• Mix the jam with 1 tbsp hot water from a freshly boiled kettle. When the tart has finished baking, glaze generously with the jam, then leave to cool a little. Serve warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar, if you like.