Caramel Apple Tart

Name: Caramel Apple Tart
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 180 g all-purpose flour divided; 15 g granulated sugar divided; 4 g fine salt divided; 120 g unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes and divided; 1 large egg yolk room temperature; 45 ml ice water divided; 15 g all-purpose flour divided; 700 g apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced; 15 ml lemon juice freshly squeezed; 75 g light brown sugar divided; 3 g ground cinnamon divided; 1 g ground nutmeg divided; 8 g cornstarch for thickening the filling; 30 ml heavy cream divided; 5 ml vanilla extract divided; 25 g unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes and divided; 15 g light brown sugar divided; 30 ml heavy cream divided; 15 ml water for the caramel sauce; 1 g ground cinnamon divided

An American-inspired baked tart with a shortcrust-style shell, apples cooked until just tender with brown sugar and spice, and a caramel drizzle made on the stovetop. The filling bakes until set and the crust is deeply golden at the edges.

By Julienne

Cook time: 45 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

180 g all-purpose flour divided
15 g granulated sugar divided
4 g fine salt divided
120 g unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes and divided
1 large egg yolk room temperature
45 ml ice water divided
15 g all-purpose flour divided
700 g apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
15 ml lemon juice freshly squeezed
75 g light brown sugar divided
3 g ground cinnamon divided
1 g ground nutmeg divided
8 g cornstarch for thickening the filling
30 ml heavy cream divided
5 ml vanilla extract divided
25 g unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes and divided
15 g light brown sugar divided
30 ml heavy cream divided
15 ml water for the caramel sauce
1 g ground cinnamon divided

Instructions

Make the tart dough: in a bowl, combine 180 g flour, 15 g granulated sugar, 4 g fine salt, and 120 g cold butter. Rub in or cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces remaining. Mix in 1 egg yolk and 45 ml ice water just until the dough holds together. Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill for 20 minutes. The dough is cohesive but not sticky, with visible butter pieces before chilling.
Heat the oven to 190°C. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to fit a 9-inch tart pan. Line the pan, trim the edge, and chill the shell for 10 minutes. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. The shell is evenly lined and fully supported by weights.
Bake the weighted shell for 16 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, then bake 6 minutes more until the base looks dry and the edges are just starting to color. The tart shell is pale golden and dry to the touch on the base.
While the shell bakes, toss the apples with lemon juice, 75 g brown sugar, 3 g cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, 30 ml cream, and vanilla. Cook in a saucepan over medium heat with the remaining 25 g butter for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the apples soften slightly and the juices thicken but the slices still hold shape. The filling looks glossy and lightly thickened, not watery.
Spread the warm apple filling in the tart shell, mounding the slices slightly in the center. Bake for 15 minutes, until the apples are tender and the filling is bubbling at the edges. The apples are tender when pierced and the filling bubbles around the perimeter.
Make the caramel drizzle: in a small saucepan, combine the remaining 15 g brown sugar, remaining 30 ml cream, remaining 15 ml water, and the remaining 0 g butter. Simmer over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until smooth and slightly syrupy. Off the heat, stir in the remaining 1 g cinnamon. Drizzle over the tart after it cools for 20 minutes. The caramel coats a spoon and falls in a thin ribbon.
Cool the tart on a rack until the filling sets enough to slice cleanly, then serve warm or at room temperature. Slices release cleanly and the tart holds its shape.