"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The days are cooler, the evenings darker. The small hints of warmth and summer that have lingered are now officially gone. Just weeks ago, we were sweating under a blazing sun while roaming through the apple orchard filling our baskets far too full. Our freshly picked apple supply is just about gone and we have replaced the blazing sun with the glow of our fireplace.
Over the past couple weeks I have made several batches of applesauce, roasted apples with a butter, caramel sauce, I've made made apple chicken salad, apples baked with brie and, on the simpler side, sliced apples with raw honey.
But what I really wanted to bake was a rustic French apple tart. The perfect dessert for these crisp, autumn days.
The French "tarte Tatin", or tart, was accidentally created at the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France, about 100 miles south of Paris. This apple pastry was born in the early 1900s by two sisters, Caroline and Stephanie, and soon became a signature dish served at the hotel. While there are some inconsistencies in the history of the tarte tatin, one thing is certain; this upside-down pastry is now a popular dessert served all over the world.
I baked this tarte using Melrose apples, which are a cross between the Jonathan and the Red Delicious.
RUSTIC FRENCH APPLE TART
SCD, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free
INGREDIENTS:
Crust
1 egg yolk
2 cups almond flour
8 Tbs unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into small pieces
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs honey
coconut oil to grease the pan
Filling
6 large apples
2 Tbs butter or ghee
3 Tbs honey
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using coconut oil, grease a
9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. I used a
14 x 4 inch tart pan.
2. In a food processor, combine the almond flour and salt and pulse to combine. Add the honey and cubed butter and process until it resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Add the egg yolk and pulse to combine, but be careful not to over process the dough.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Pat the dough evenly over the bottom and sides of your prepared pan or roll the dough between two sheets of parchment and flip into the pan.
6. Par bake crust for 7-10 min, I suggest using pie weights, although it is not necessary. The dough will rise a bit, gently press back down with the back of a spoon.
7. While the crust par bakes, prepare the filling. Using 5 of the apples, peel and cut into pieces. Add 2 tablespoons of butter of ghee to a pan over medium heat and cook the apples down. Add the salt, vanilla and honey and continue to cook until they are soft.
8. Strain the apples. You can save the access liquid for a syrup or baking.
9. Add the cooked apples, which will resemble a chunky applesauce, to the tart. Top with the remaining apple, making sure it is evenly sliced and peeled, and sprinkle with cinnamon.
10. Bake for another 10-12 minutes. If you notice the sides are browning you can wrap them in aluminum foil.
11. Store in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap (
Bees wrap is even better- for the earth at least!). It will last for up to a few days in the refrigerator, although ours never made it that long!
