Recipe & Video
Tart Normandie
Yield: 8
This is a French classic and, honestly, much better than an American style apple pie. Although, I am firmly in the "why not both" camp when it comes to pies and tarts.
Ingredients:
For the pastry
- 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (100g) powdered sugar
- 1 egg
For the filling
- 4 medium, tart apples, about 1 1/2 pounds, 700g
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons granulated or coarse sugar, for finishing the tart
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz.) heavy cream or half and half.
- 2 1/2 tablespoons calvados*
Instructions:
Make the tart shell
- In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour and almond flour.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or the bowl of a food processor, or a large bowl and a wooden spoon, beat the butter together with the powdered sugar until creamy.
- Add the egg and beat until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed until the mixture forms a dough ball. Don't over-mix.
- At this point, you can press the dough evenly into the tart pan. For a very even shell, pat the dough into a round disk, no more than 2 inches thick, wrap tightly with plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Remove the bottom of the tart pan and place in the middle of a large piece of parchment paper. Dust with flour. Place dough on the tart pan bottom and cover with another piece of parchment. Roll dough out into a circle about 1/8 of an inch thick between two pieces of parchment paper. Dough should extend beyond the tart pan bottom by about 1 1/2 inches.
- Carefully remove top piece of parchment. Loosen dough from bottom parchment and carefully lift up crust while still on the tart pan bottom. Lower into tart ring. It will crack and break a bit. No big deal. Ease edges down and press dough into the corners. Press broken and cracked parts back together. Trim the top, prick all over with a fork.
- Hold in the refrigerator.
Make the filling
- Peel and core the apples, and cut them in eighths. Place the slices in concentric circles in the unbaked tart shell.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/2 cup sugar, along with the vanilla extract and salt. Whisk in the heavy cream and calvados, until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the filling over the apples in the tart dough. Sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons of sugar and bake the tart on a foil lined cookie sheet or baking pan until deep golden brown on top, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
- Remove from tart case by setting pan on a large can (such as tomato can). The rim of the pan should slide ride off, downward. Carefully take the tart off the can. Use a thin knife or off-set spatula to carefully separate the tart from the removable bottom.
- Best eaten the same day.
Notes:
*Calvados is apple brandy. It is really really good. Substitutes include pear brandy, concentrated apple juice, apple cider, or apple butter.
