APPLE TART WITH HAZELNUT FRANGIPANI

Everybody loves apple tart! In affirming that it is the queen of winter tarts, I'm pretty sure that I'm not wrong and that none of you will argue with me. I mean, who doesn't love a good apple pie, tarte Tatin or just a simple old-fashioned apple tart? I don't know many that'd refuse a slice of that treat.

Well, as irresistible as an apple tart can be, yet for no explainable reason, this year, I have not baked any. The strangest thing is that I eat apples on a daily basis and love apple tarts. Try to figure this out...

Anyway, after having enjoyed my juicy, crunchy and fragrant daily evening Granny Smith in front of one of my favorite TV shows (Entourage for now), it struck me that there was no way I was not going to put those tasty fruits to use next time I was going to bake.

The next step was searching for a recipe that would come out a little of the ordinary. So, I roamed the internet - as I always do when looking for ideas or recipes - and I came across Jacque Pépin's fabulous "Apple Tart With Hazelnut Frangipani".

I really recommend it as it is amazing and really flavorful. It's crust is sinfully crispy, flaky and buttery, the frangipani is delightfully nutty and fragrant, the apples are fantastically tart, moist and richly perfumed and the apricot jam with Calvados adds an interestingly subtle twist to the whole.

This "Apple Tart With Hazelnut Frangipani" is decadent and has a lot of character. It is not the usual basic, dry and bland tart that you can encounter most times. This one is classy and will rock your world like no other!!!!

~ Apple Tart With Hazelnut Frangipani ~
Recipe found on Food Network, courtesy of Jacques Pepin.
Slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Serves 6.

Ingredients for the "Shortcrust Pastry":
1 1/4 Cups All-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
8 Tbs (1 stick) Unsalted butter, very cold and cut into thin slices
1 Tsp sugar
A dash of salt
2 Tbs Cold water
Ingredients for the "Filling":
1 Cup Shelled hazelnuts
1/4 Cup plus 2 Tbs Sugar, divided
1 Large egg
3 Tbs Unsalted butter, divided
A dash of vanilla
4 Large russet apples (about 2 pounds)
1 Cup Apricot preserves
3 Tbs Calvados, whiskey or water

Method for the "Shortcrust Pastry":
1. Preheat the oven to 190° C (375° F).
2. Mix the flour, butter, sugar, and salt quickly with your fingertips until the butter is in pieces about the size of dried beans. Quickly stir the water into the mixture and then gather up the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press it into a flat dish shape. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
3. Line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment or a silicon pad. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 15-inches long by 10-inches wide (see remarks), with rough edges. Roll the dough up onto your rolling pin and then unroll it directly onto the lined pan.

Method for the "Filling":
1. Roast the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet for 7 or 8 minutes in the oven (180° C/350° F). Transfer the nuts to a food processor, add the 1/4 cup sugar, egg, 1 tablespoon butter, and vanilla, and process until a creamy paste forms. Spread the frangipane on the dough, stopping about 1 1/2-inches from the outer edge on all sides.
2. Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut them into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange them attractively in a slightly overlapping pattern, like the tiles of a roof, on the pastry dough so that the apples cover the frangipane. Fold the edge of the dough back over the apples to make a 1 to 1 1/2-inch border of dough (I didn't do that/see remarks). Increase the oven temperature to 200° C (400° F). Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the apples, letting a little of the sugar fall onto the border to help crystallize the dough. Break the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into pieces and scatter them over the tart. Bake for 1 hour. The dough should be nicely crystallized all over.
3. Remove the finished tart from the oven and cool on a rack until lukewarm. Dilute the apricot preserves with the calvados or water and glaze the surface of the tart, spreading it carefully on the apples with the underside of a spoon.
4. let cool on a wire rack.

Remarks:
I baked this tart in a round 24-26cm (10-10.2 inch) pan, so I omitted the folding of the edges.
If you don't have hazelnuts at hand, then use any other nut as long as you roast them.
I used Granny Smith apples for this recipe.

Serving suggestions:

Serve at room temperature cut into little wedges, with whipped cream, sour cream or ice cream, if desired.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Tarte Aux Pommes Et A La Frangipane Aux Noisettes ~
Recette trouvée sur Food Network et créée par Jacques Pepin.
Légèrement adapté par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Pour 6 personnes.

Ingrédients pour la "Pâte Brisée":
160g de Farine blanche
120g de Beurre non-salé, très froid et coupé en petits morceaux
1 CC de Sucre cristallisé
Une pincée de sel
2 CS d'Eau froide (ou plus si besoin)
Ingrédients pour la "Garniture":
150g de Noisettes (sans peau)
53g plus 2 CS de Sugar cristallisé
1 Gros oeuf
15g + 30g de Beurre non-salé
1 CC de d'Extrait de vanille pure
4 Grosses pommes Granny Smith (~ 1kg)
300g de Gelée d'abricots
3 CS de calvados, whisky ou eau

Méthod pour la "Pâte Brisée":
1. Préchauffer le four à 190° C.
2. Mélanger ensemble du bout des doigts la farine, le beurre, le sucre et le sel afin d'obtenir un mélange sableux assez grossier. Ajouter l'eau afin d'amalgammer le tout et former une boule de pâte. Emballer la pâte dans un filme plastique et lui donner la forme d'un disque de la grandeur d'une assiette moyenne. Mettre au frigo pendant 1 heure.
3. A l'aide d'un rouleau à pâte, étaler la pâte en un cercle et foncer un moule beurré de 24-26cm.
Méthode pour la "Garniture":
1. Torréfier les noisettes pendant 7 à 8 minutes à 180° C. Mettre les noisette dans le mixer et les réduire en poudre, puis ajouter les 53g de sucre, l'oeuf, 15g de beurre et la vanille. Mixer jusqu'à obtention d'une pâte crémeuse. Etaler la frangipane sur la pâte à tarte.
2. Peler les pommes, enlever le coeur et les couper en tranches de 1.3cm d'épaisseur. disposer joliment sur la frangipane. Augmenter la température du four à 200° C . Saupoudrer avec les 2 CS de sucre. Couper les 30g de beure en petits dés et les disposer sur le pommes. Cuire la tarte pendant 1 heure.
3. Retirer la tarte du four et la mettre sur une grille afin qu'elle refroidisse un peu. Diluer la confiture/gelée d'abricot avec le calvados et couvrir les pommes avec ce mélange, en s'aidant du dos d'une cuillère à soupe.
4. Laisser refroidir complètement avant de servir.

Remarques:
Si vous n'avez pas de noisettes, alors vour pouvez utiliser les noix de votre choix (sans oublier de les torréfier).
J'ai utilisé des pommes Granny smith, mais tout autre pomme à tarte acidulée et parfumée fera l'affaire (par ex. Boscoop).

Idées de présentation:
Servir à température ambiante avec de la crème foutée, de la crème aigre/sûre ou de la glace.