This week our Culinary Arts students learned how to make the perfect pie crust ( aka pate brisee ) that was buttery, flaky, and absolutely delicious! They then created mini tarts that were filled with perfectly sliced and perfectly seasoned apples.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 recipe Pâte Brisée dough
3 tablespoons apricot jam
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Pink Lady apples (12 ounces), halved, cored, and sliced a scant 1/8 inch thick (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 Granny Smith apple (6 ounces), peeled, halved, cored, and sliced a scant 1/8 inch thick (about 1 cup)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in bottom position. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/8-inch-thick. Trim dough to a 12-inch round; fit into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim edges to 1 inch, then fold under to double thickness of edge. Stir together jam and ginger; spread over dough in pan. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss together Pink Lady and Granny Smith apple slices, the remaining spices and brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons flour. Starting from outside, tightly shingle apples over dough in pan in concentric circles, covering two-thirds of dough.
Stir a few drops of water into bowl with residual fruit juices and sugar to create a glaze; set aside.
Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking until apples are tender and crust is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes more, brushing with glaze from bowl once during cooking and once after removing from oven. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan and transfer tart to rack; let cool at least 15 minutes more. Serve warm or room temperature. Tart can be stored, covered with parchment-lined foil, at room temperature up to 1 day.