Apple tart with chili-cardamom caramel
A tart-sweet apple filling, spiced with Ceylon cinnamon and fennel, layered on a robust, flaky crust, then drizzled with a warming, aromatic clear caramel. The spices are subtle, creating a play of complementary flavors with no resounding winner.
Releasing liquid from the apples ahead of baking serves two purposes: creating a crust that is crisp all the way through; and forming a base for the caramel, marrying the flavors of the topping and the sauce.
Recipe under the cut!
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Ingredients
Makes one 12” x 12” tart. Serves 4-6.
For the dough:
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
100g salted non-dairy margarine (stick form)
About 3 Tbsp cold water
For the topping:
1 1/2 baking apples, washed, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2-inch chunk Ceylon cinnamon, toasted and ground, or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (or substitute 1/4 tsp cassia cinnamon)
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground, or 1/4 tsp ground fennel
Pinch ground cloves
2 Tbsp vegetarian granulated sugar
Pinch salt
To assemble:
1/2 Tbsp non-dairy margarine, melted
For the caramel:
Liquid from draining apples
3 Tbsp sugar
3 green cardamom pods, crushed
1-2 dried red chilies, broken
With 1 chili, the sauce is to my taste warming without being detectably spicy. Increase chili as desired.
Instructions
For the dough:
1. Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut cold margarine into an even dice with a sharp knife and coat in flour (or cut margarine into flour with a pastry cutter).
2. Add water, kneading dough against the sides of the bowl, until it just comes together. Cover and put in the refrigerator to chill.
For the topping:
1. Wash apples, core, and slice thinly. Toss with spices, salt, and sugar and put in a sieve over a bowl to drain. Leave for about an hour, stirring once, until apples have released several tablespoons of liquid.
To shape:
1. While the apples rest, roll out dough into a rough rectangle on a generously floured surface.
2. Fold the rectangle in three widthwise, like an envelope, and then in half widthwise to form a square.
3. Re-flour the surface, if necessary. Roll out dough again into a large square about 1/4” (1/2 cm) thick. Brush the surface of the dough with melted margarine.
To assemble:
1. Arrange apples over the dough so that they overlap slightly, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border on all sides.
2. Fold the edges over the apples and press down on the corners to seal.
3. Put in the freezer to chill while preparing the caramel.
For the caramel:
1. Pour the liquid from the apples into a saucepan (preferably one with a light-colored bottom) and heat on medium-low. Add sugar and stir to dissolve.
2. Add spices and heat on medium, without stirring, until simmering. If sugar starts to stick to the sides of the pan, brush it down with a wet pastry brush.
3. Continue to heat, gently moving the mixture back and forth with a rubber spatula if you notice the color changing unevenly, until caramel is a light amber color. This will probably happen quickly, so watch closely.
4. Remove from heat and carefully dunk the bottom of the pot in a bowl of cool water to halt further cooking.
To bake:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 °F (205 °C) with the rack in the center. Bake the apple tart for 50-60 minutes, until crust is golden brown and apples are tender.
2. Drizzle with caramel and serve hot.
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