Tarte Amandine (Apple Tart with Almond Cream)
Happy New Year! My resolution for year 2009 is to post a new recipe everyday. I decided to start with a tarte amandine because one of the main components of the dish is frangipane, a buttery almond filling. I'm originally from France and frangipane figures heavily into the traditional cake, called Galette des Rois (litterally Kings' Cake), which is served in the month of January to commemorate the Christian Holiday of Epiphany.
Ingredients
125 g butter, softened to room temperature, plus extra
50 g sugar
2 whole eggs, yolk & white separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
125 g almond flour, 1
2 Tbsp apricot preserves, 2
3 whole apples, 3
1/2 squeezed lemon
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400°F
Place in 2 separate bowls, the yolks in one and the white in the other.
Add 1/3 sugar quantity to yolk, mix with handmixer until pale yellow. Add vanilla, almond flour, stir with a spatula. In a different container, cream another 1/3 of the sugar with the butter. Combine both bowls together.
For the remaining egg-white bowl, add salt, then start mixing with clean handblender until soft peaks of egg whites (don't overmix, it would become grainy) then add the remaining sugar and mix for another minute until stiff.
Combine 1/3 of the egg white to the egg yolk mixture, stirr well with spatula. Then gently fold the rest of the egg whites with a spatula.
Place the dough in 6 individual pie shells previously buttered (or in one 9-inch pie pan). Dock the dough with a fork.
Peel the apples, cut them in half. Core them. Coat each half with lemon juice, then cut them vertically into thin slices. Spread the almond mixture in each mold then place the apples over the almond paste. Sprinkle teeny bit of butter over the apples so the pie look rich and golden.
Bake for 25 minutes at 375°F, then lower the temperature to 350°F for another 15 minutes. Before glazing the pie, broil for 3 minutes to get a nice golden crust and caramelized apple look. Turn off the heat, then brush with the warm apricot preserves.
Let it cool for a few minutes, serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it's delicious.
In general, I'll be sharing sweet treats on Thursdays so you guys can get prepared and make it for your family and friends over the weekends.
Tips
1 You can either buy ready-made almond flour, or make it yourself. Remember to get a little more than 125 grams of whole almonds to get the correct amount of flour. Place whole almonds in a metal bowl, then cover them with boiling water. Let it sit for no longer than 2 minutes. Strain and transfer them into an cold water bath. Pat them dry on a towel, and the skins should come right off. Then grind them with a food processor or spice grinder. Make sure you stop before it turns into almond butter. I use the VitaMix Dry Blade Container. The result should be a fine white mill.
2 Dilute the apricot preserves with 1 tablespoon of water (if you fancy some Brandy flavor, add a teeny drop). I use my friend Carol's Homemade Apricot Preserves, which is yummy. Carol, I'm still waiting for your secrets on how to make good fruit preserves ;)
3 I tend to use Fuji apples or Golden Delicious, which are some of the sweetest varieties.
4 Don't discard the remnants of puff pastry. Make some cheese twists the next day!
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See the last post: My 2009 Resolutions List
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About Jackie
Hi! My name is Jacqueline Pham and I am a self-taught home cook based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am French-Vietnamese, born and raised in Paris, France. I live with my husband Lulu and his family.
My hubby's family is from India, so our home is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines with all the rewards and challenges that you can imagine. There are vegetarians, meat-lovers and allergies of every kind. This site is a way for me to share my love of food and interact with all you Femme Fatales out there putting food on the table for your loved ones everyday.
