Rustic Apple Tart with Almond Pastry

Cooked in a cast iron skillet this Rustic Apple Tart can be modified by using other seasonal fruits, such as pears. But every year we look forward to Apple season. If your one of those people that like to pick apples, you probably pick more than you could ever eat. That’s why today I’m focusing on a recipe to use your apples. There’s nothing quite like an apple tart where the apples are smothered in a caramel sauce and baked with an almond pastry that is delicious 😋.

Ingredients:

Almond pastry
  1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  1/2 cup almond meal
  2 tablespoons sugar
  1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  1 stick (4oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” cubes
  1 large egg yolk
  1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  2-3 tablespoons ice water

Caramel and apple filling
  1 cup sugar
  2 tablespoons water
  1 teaspoon lemon juice
  2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  3 large Granny Smith or any sweet-tart apples (about 1 1/2lbs)

Directions:

Almond Pastry:  place the flour, almond meal, sugar and salt in a food processor, pulse to combine. Add in the cut butter and pulse again until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the egg yolk, the extract and the ice water pulse until large clump forms. Put some flour on your work surface. Transfer the dough onto the work surface and form a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk, cover it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375F, with the rack placed in the middle.

Caramel and apple filling: place a 10” cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Mix to combine then let cook until the sugar turns a caramel color, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat then add in the butter and salt.

Peel, core and cut the apples lengthwise into 1/4” slices. When caramel is ready, arrange sliced apples in the skillet over the top of the sauce in a circular pattern, overlapping slightly to cover the sauce completely. Be careful the caramel is HOT!

Generously flour a work station and place the chilled dough on the flour. Dust the top of the dough with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll chilled dough into a circle, turning the dough each time you roll. Roll out to a 10” circle and 1/4” thick. Roll the dough around the rolling pin then transfer to the skillet. Unroll over the skillet to cover the apples and tuck the edges inside against the iron skillet. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow tart to cool 5 minutes.

Place a heatproof round serving plate over the skillet (see picture) and carefully flip the tart onto the plate. Cut into wedges and serve. Yum Yum!