Monday, November 19, 2012

Apple and Apricot Tart




From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our Thanksgiving meal this year is not going to be traditional. While many of the dishes I'll be serving hint at their Pilgrim roots, the dishes themselves are pretty far removed from the Mayflower table. I'll post the full menu on Wednesday, but between now and then, I'll be featuring recipes for some of the desserts I'll be making. This tart, while French in origin, is a perfect way to end any holiday meal and I'm going to use it to fullfil the apple requirement of our holiday feast. The inspiration for this pie was Julia Child's, Tarte Aux Pommes. I've add apricots to her recipe to make it less sweet and I've taken some shortcuts that she probably would frown on. To wit, I use commercial applesauce as the base for the tart. It's an enormous time saver and at this time of  year extra minutes count. The apricots make this tart more interesting and they really compliment the flavor of the apples. I use Golden Delicious apples for my baking and they work well in desserts where appearance is as important as taste. This is a gorgeous dessert and I always hate to cut into it. It is easy to make and while most of it can be prepared well ahead of serving the glaze can be problematic. It will start to breakdown after 24 hours and the tart will get weepy. The solution to this, of course,  is to eat the tart the day it is made. My family never lets me down. If you are looking for an apple dessert I hope you will give this one a try. Here's how it is made.

Apple Tart (Tarte Aux Pommes)...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Julia Child

Ingredients:
Partially-cooked 8 or 9-inch tart shell
Apple Slices
3 cup sliced apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8-inch lengthwise slices
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
Filling
3 cups thick, unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup diced dried apricots, cut in 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter
Grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
Glaze
1/2 cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions:

1) Arrange a rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss sliced apples in a bowl with lemon juice and sugar. Set aside.
2) To make filling: Combine applesauce, diced apricots, apricot preserves, vanilla extract, sugar and lemon zest in a 3-quart saucepan. Boil down, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape when mounded in a spoon, about 20 minutes. Stir in butter.
3) Turn applesauce into pastry shell. Arrange sliced apples in overlapping concentric circles on top of applesauce. Bake in upper third of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until apples are lightly brown and tender.
4) To make glaze: Mix apricot preserves with sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture is thick enough to coat back of a spoon and candy thermometer registers 228 degrees F.
5) Remove tart from oven and carefully remove sides of pan. Paint apple topping with warm apricot glaze. Serve tart warm or cold. Yield: 6 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Minted Peas with Pearl Onions














Two Years Ago Today: Paratha
















Three Years Ago Today: Homemade Breakfast Sausage

21 comments :

Red Nomad OZ said...

Nearly apricot season downunder - can't wait!! And ... will the Thanksgiving police track you down if your meal doesn't have all the required elements??!!

Priya Suresh said...

I do sauce with apple and abricot, tart looks mindblowing,never combined these fruits together in baking.

Diane said...

My favourite fruits this sounds very yummy. Have a great week Diane

Unknown said...

This is such a lovely fall dessert, although I would eat it any time of the year :)
Love that you are doing a non-traditional menu for Thanksgiving.. can't wait to see what you make.

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Mary this tart is gorgeous! I bet the apricot jam gives it a wonderful depth of flavor!
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

From the Kitchen said...

Imagine my surprise to come here while eating my breakfast of apple and apricot tart!! Actually it's a croustade and, in my opinion, not just for dessert!! The Baker is reprising his apple custard cake for Thanksgiving dessert. Our meal will be semi-traditional this year.

Happy Thanksgiving, Mary, to you and your loved ones.

Best,
Bonnie

tender b. said...

I would love this on my Thanksgiving table. A very lovely dessert.

Kim said...

This tart looks stunning and it looks good too! Perfect for holiday or any week-end special meals!

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

Hi Mary,

I could murder one of those right now!

Hope you're doing well and back into the swing of things following your South American trip :)

Merisi in Vienna said...

I remember that Julia Child recipe, I had it at a friend's house years ago! It was so delicious, but the apple sauce part seemed so daunting, I never dared bake it. Adding the apricots is brilliant, Mary! I have some frozen apricot halves in my freezer, I'll try to use them instead of dried ones. Thank you for another great recipe, Mary!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving,
Merisi

David said...

Mary, That is a really beautiful fruit tart...its a work of art! My wife likes apricots too so this is a winner! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

What a stunning tart my friend it looks gorgeous ;D

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

Anonymous said...

this looks lovely, I still want to try the cookies from yesterday but I would think I need whole milk for that and all I have is 2 %,

Chiara said...

This tart looks stunning Mary ! have a nice week, blessings...

Coleens Recipes said...

This is a beautiful dessert!! I'm always looking for "new" holiday dessert recipes, so thank you for sharing this.

teresa said...

this is so pretty, and just perfect for this time of year! enjoy your holiday!

Ellen Whyte said...

Oh yum! Simple and yet sooo tasty.

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I am sure you family is happy to eat this delicious tart in one day. :)

Fondly,
Glenda

kitchen flavours said...

That is one gorgeous tart! Love the addition of the apricots, looks delicious!
Happy Thanksgiving, Mary!

http://platanosmangoes.com said...

I like the addition of the apricots. Its truly a gorgeous tart!

RSA Online said...

This apple dessert is awesome! My friends, relatives and family will surely love this!

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