Thursday, October 8, 2009

As Easy As Apple Tart

I've got to tell you, dear readers, I always thought I was above peer pressure, but it turns out that I'm not! Luckily, this time when I chose to give in, it ended in a surprisingly good result. I'm talking about apples. They're everywhere, aren't they? And all of you out there in the foodie blogosphere are doing such wonderful things with them - I'm so impressed! The apple is a humble fruit, with a rich history. Why do you suppose people think the apple was the forbidden fruit that caused Adam & Eve to be thrown out of heaven? I would've thought it was something more exotic, no?! Nonetheless, apples never really appealed to me. Maybe it was a simple case of too much supply versus demand? Growing up, it was one of those fruits that was omnipresent, no matter what the season, and it still is. Mum was forever trying to get me to eat more of it. And when people tell you that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", well, that just makes it sound like medicine. Blech. And I, for one, have a thing for cute doctors, so why would I stuff myself with apples?!
But I'm a sucker for good marketing. When I entered my grocery store the other day, some magical little elf had turned it into an apple orchard wonderland! Bushels and baskets, overflowing with at least eight different varieties of apples, were scattered everywhere. A veritable cornucopia, if I may (I've always wanted to use that phrase - me smart). So I caved. Bought myself a bunch of Golden Delicious apples and took them home, after which I began scouring the net for the perfect,
easy apple dessert recipe. There are so many of you creative foodies out there, that I was overwhelmed by the choices I had! Finally, I simply settled for one that was a cross between a tarte fine by Dorie Greenspan and an apple tart by Ree, my favorite Pioneer Woman!
Elegant Apple Tart (tweaked from this recipe by The Pioneer Woman)
Serves 4-6

Click here for printable recipe

3-4 firm, sweet apples, preferably Golden Delicious
Squirt of fresh lemon juice
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (I use Pepperidge Farm), slightly thawed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp milk or heavy cream
1/4 cup apricot preserves/jam, for glazing
1-2 tsp granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Peel, core and slice the apples. Pour over some lemon juice right away so that they don't turn brown. Mix well with the brown sugar and salt. Keep aside.

3. Unfold the puff pastry sheet. Slice it into thirds or in half. Arrange the apple slices in a pattern that you like, on top of each piece of puff pastry. I like the vertical, overlapping version.

4. Brush the milk/cream over the exposed edges of the puff pastry. Sprinkle the granulated white sugar over the whole thing, and pop into the oven for about 15-25 mins - just keep an eye on it, so that it doesn't burn.

5. In the meantime, warm up the apricot preserves/jam with a little bit of water on the stove, so that it becomes spreadable. Once the tarts come out of the oven, liberally shmear them with the apricot glaze. Cool for 5 mins and serve with whipped cream or ice-cream for dessert. OR as the star of your high tea with the girls!

(Tip: If the apples on your tart did not caramelize as much you wanted them to, go at them with your handy-dandy kitchen torch - the same one you use for creme brulee)

Verdict: DH liked this tart way more than I did. It's very delicate and oh-so-french, which I love. Also, it's easy enough for me to make on a whim. So although I'm still not an apple junkie, I will give this tart a thumbs up, and recommend it to anyone. Perfect for a chilly fall afternoon, when you need something warm, fragrant and homey to chomp on. Plus, when has anything with puff pastry ever turned out terrible?!
Oh. My. Lord. Sticky, caramely, fruity goodness. Apples, thou have redeemed thyself.

Ozzy, snoozing in a warm patch of sunlight on a chilly fall morning, right next to my computer chair. He better be careful because one of these days I'm gonna forget he's there, and roll over him ... yikes, scary thought! I have to look all around my chair before I even budge!

Will be sending this recipe to Meeta's Monthly Mingle - High Tea Treats event, hosted by the lovely Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen.

26 comments:

Heather S-G said...

Oh, they turned out beautifully! Seriously gorgeous. We (at our house) actually are apples junkies, so I know this would go over well. I get the full whiney treatment if we ever run out of apples...one of these days I plan on planting apple trees! Better hurry before kids are grown and gone... :D

Raje said...

Yummy! Tart looks gorgeous...

Finla said...

The tart just looks so so beautiful and yummy.
You sound like my daughter, i have here always apples yeah around and i am always behind her back to eat them :-)

Justin said...

i should really just keep some puff pastry in the house all the time so i can try things like this... i almot never buy it.

Mari said...

My mouth is watering just by looking at those pictures. I can just imagine how amazing it must taste. I love every kind of apple dessert and I know that would be heaven in my mouth lol...

Your kitty is too cute...my dog is always behind me too, to the point that I trip over him!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Easy, but so delightful! Your tarts are very beautiful!

What a sweet kitty!

Cheers,

Rosa

Unknown said...

What a gorgeous tart! I guess sometimes peer pressure can be a good thing!

Foodiewife said...

I booked marked Ree's recipe for this-- along with 100 others. I'm not a huge fan of apples, either...unless they are caramelized and in puff pastry. You've convinced me. Though, a BIG dollops of fresh whipped cream would be pretty amazing. Great photos, Lady! Love the kitty shot. I have two felines who own my home, too.

Donna-FFW said...

That looks so beautiful. I dont think I could ever make one so pretty.

Cathy said...

Too bad you didn't like them more - they look beautiful!

Doppelganger said...

Hahaha the more I know you, the more I love you! I'm not a fan of the apples either, pretty much for all the reasons you gave too. But I'd love to bake this tart which looks beautiful! I know there's a certain someone in my house who would love it. And I must commend your photography skills which are getting better with each post!

Love to Ozzykins! I wish I could nap in the sun sometime! Lucky little feline! ;)

Varsha Vipins said...

Oh..I just so love this Muneeba..yumm,,But am not sure if mine will caramelise so in oven n I dont even have a plain torch,coming to think of.:D..mebe I'l roast the apples in pan before transferring over the puff pastry..u r right ..nothing an go wrong with that stuff..But we always end up filling spicy stuffs in it n can u believe I have never tried anything sweet with it..:D..You recipes always tempt me so much Muneeba..:)
hugs (one special for hearing my laments abt the cmnt form )

Anonymous said...

The tarts look gorgeous! We love making apple tarts with puff pastry, my daughter's favorite dessert!

Sushma Mallya said...

Thats a lovely pic muneeba...Hve only seen apple tarts,but never tried it nor tasted it before,would love to try this one as its looking very delicious...thanks for the recipe

NKP said...

What lovely tarts!
I do love apples, mostly at this time of year. These are so elegant looking for guests!

Mariam M said...

Lol! I feel the SAME way about apples! try as I might, even if they're everywhere, I just won't eat them. Def not my fruit of choice..hehehe :) Although..i do LOVE apple pie..I guess its just one of those quirks..*Thanks* for the recipe, it looks amazing :) will give it a shot for sure!

Kerstin said...

Oh wow, what a gorgeous apple tart! I just went apple picking so I will be baking a lot of treats with apples too soon :)

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Thanks for bringing that gorgeous apple pie to High Tea. I had also bookmarked this from Ree's blog and made it.

Joanne said...

I must say I love apples. I do eat one every day. But mostly because I am addicted to them. And less because of the whole doctor thing.

I love this apple tart. Perfect for high tea or breakfast or lunch or dinner or all the time.

test it comm said...

Great looking apple tart!

Memória said...

I made this (and blogged about it) a few weeks ago! I tweaked the recipe too, but I didn't think about adding cream and jam. YUM!

Tessa said...

This looks beautiful! Apples are one of my favorite fruits.

Jennifer said...

Wow, I am an apple fiend and that looks both beautiful and delish!

Miss High Heels said...

Apples are my favourite fruit.
Love the name of 'elegant tart'. We're currently having one of the coldest spring's in my little part of Australia and this tart would go down a treat!

Jamie said...

Funny that I just made one of these. A tarte fine is a beautiful thing and yours are perfect! I love baking with apples in the Autumn.

Lobster Gram Recipe Blog said...

I love cooking with apples. Especially in the fall. It's just not autumn without apple dumplings and cider. This recipe looks fantastic. I'll have to give it a shot though I'm sure it won't be nearly as gorgeous as yours!