A few months ago we received an apple peeler machine as a gift and Eric immediately started playing with it. Its a little bulky and has lots of sharp moving parts so we don’t usually leave it out, but last weekend our neighbor dropped off a whole bushel of apples (okay, maybe a big paper bag full of apples) so it was time to break out the fire-engine red toy. In addition to slicing the skin right off any apple you have this little thing will take the meat right off the core in one go, leaving you a really nice even spiral of apple. A few more cuts and you’ve got enough even apple slices to make an apple tart even Paula Dean would drool over. Actually she would probably drool over it because its an apple tart covered in caramel. And by drool, we mean eat quickly. Even though the apples we’re from our yard, our taste buds couldn’t tell and the fall flavors served as a perfect transition between summer and winter (its finally starting to feel like fall here in the Bay Area). Speaking of Fall, we pulled the last of our summer crops out and got the garden ready for winter. Dino Kale, leeks and brussel sprouts are among our favorites this time around.
Caramel Apple Tart
What you will need:
Caramel Sauce:
1 1/2 cups drk brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
6 tbsps unsalted butter
Boil sugar, butter and cream in a saucepan, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Keep the boil going until the caramel is thick enough to coat the spoon pretty well. This should take about 10 minutes. This sauce can be made upto 5 days in advance, just cover and keep chilled. (don’t forget to warm the caramel on the stovetop before serving).
Crust
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chilled butter
2 egg yolks
Blend together the flour, sugar and salt in a mixer. add butter and continue until a nice meal forms. Add egg yolks and pulse together until you get a moist clumpy dough. Ball up the dough and flatten it out into a thick disk. Wrap that in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.
Apple filling
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 3/4 pounds of apples that have been peeled and cored and sliced. We used a super nifty apple peeler / corer like this one
Whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon and cardamom and toss in the sliced apples.
Preheat the oven to 375*F and flour your workspace. Roll out the dough into a 13 inch round and press it into your tart pan, keeping the sides about a quarter inch above the edge of the pan. Arrange your apple slices as dense as you can, cut side down in a circle and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the tart and cool it to room temp then drizzle warmed caramel liberally and serve.
We’ve got that apple peeler thing too, but I never used it thinking that, for some reason, it’d make things more complicated. But I think it’s now time for me to get it out and try it! This caramel apple tart looks way too amazing to skip, and the peeler could certainly help!
Wow ! That looks amazing. I may have to try and make an apple and caramel crumble, or a Toffee Apple Crumble. Yum!
Just bought apples this morning at the FM and my husband is dying for a traditional apple pie. After seeing this tart, I might have to shake things up a bit.
I’m jealous. I want an apple peeler machine! This tart sounds scrumptious!
Well I am not Paula Dean but I am drooling. My mom has one of those machines. Great tool when you are making something like this.
Sounds great. Yum!
Beautiful recipe. Traditional, elegant, and best of all delicious. I’m sure the cardamom really takes this dessert to the next level.
YYYYYYYYYUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!
Awesome!