PASTRIES & VARIATIONS: With this recipe of French style apple tart, almond filling is used instead of custard and apple puree. It is equally good and worth trying.

NORMANDY-STYLE APPLE TART WITH ALMOND FILLING:

 

 

 

1 quantity of Pate Sucre; see basic recipe:

filling:

    3-4 Granny Smith, or other firm textured apples, peeled & cored

    6 oz. unsalted butter                                               

    6 oz. ground almond

    3 eggs                                                                     

    1 ½ tbsp. all purpose flour, sifted

    ½ cup sugar                                                

    1 tbsp. Calvados liqueur

    2 drops almond extract                               

    2 tbsp. melted butter

glaze: 

    3 tbsp. apricot jam                                      

    1 tbsp. warm brandy

 

 

 

Roll out pastry to roughly ¼-inch thickness to fit a 9-inch tart case with removable bottom. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line empty pastry case with wax paper and fill it with rice or baking beans. Bake blind for 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven; remove wax paper and baking beans. Cool on rack slightly.

 

To make filling:  Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs, ground almonds, sifted flour, Calvados and almond extract. Mix in well. Fill pastry case to 3/4 full with filling. Slice apples thinly and arrange slices in concentric circles over the filling. Brush apples with melted butter

 

Bake in preheated 400 degrees F oven for 30-40 minutes until apples are golden brown. Remove and cool on rack.

 

Put jam through a sieve and mix it with the brandy. Brush mixture over warm tart to glaze.