Free Form Apple Tart Recipes

FREE-FORM APPLE OR PEAR TART

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse once or twice. Cut 8 tablespoons butter into chunks, and add it and egg yolk to flour mixture. Process until butter and flour are blended, about 10 seconds. Turn mixture into a bowl, and add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition. After adding 3 or 4 tablespoons you should be able to gather mixture into a ball; wrap ball in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or freeze for about 15 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll or pat dough into a 10-inch circle; it can be quite crude in shape. Place it on a cookie or pizza sheet, preferably nonstick. Arrange fruit slices on top, right out to edges; make the pattern attractive, if you like. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cut remaining butter into bits, and top fruit with it.
• Bake until crust is nicely browned and fruit is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove, and serve warm or at room temperature, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or ice cream.

FREE-FORM FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Spread pastry cream evenly on the bottom of the crust. Arrange fruit in overlapping concentric rows, beginning at outside edge and working in towards the center. For a "fruit salad" tart, toss fruit in a bowl with a drop of Kirsch (optional). Pile the fruit on the pastry cream.
• Edge the crust with the nuts and sprinkle on fruit at the edge of the tart. Either brush glaze on the fruit or sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.
• For the dough: Place flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse 3 or 4 times to mix. Add butter and pulse about 12 to 15 times until the mixture is reduced to a fine powder. Do not allow to become pasty. Add egg and liquid, and continue to pulse until the dough forms a ball.
• Remove dough from work bowl to a lightly floured work surface and pat into a 5-inch disk. Use immediately, or wrap in plastic and chill until firm before using.
• To make a free-form tart crust, roll dough to a 12-inch disk and transfer it to a parchment- or foil-lined cookie sheet, or the back of a jelly-roll pan. Using a plate or cardboard disk as a pattern, trim the dough to an even 12-inch diameter. Fold under 1/2-inch of dough along the edge of the dough, then flute the edge as if it were a pie, to make the edge stand up. Use the thumb and index finger of one hand on the outside of the tart shell and the index finger of the other hand on the inside and pinch gently from the outside while pressing lightly from the inside. Repeat all around the edge of the crust.
• Pierce the dough with a fork before baking. Place the dough on the middle rack of a preheated 400 degree oven. Lower temperature to 350 and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from oven and transfer to a rack to cool. For the Pastry Cream: Combine sugar, flour and salt in a 1 to 1 1/2-quart non-reactive saucepan. Stir with a small whisk to mix. Whisk in milk, then egg and yolk. Place over low heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream thickens and comes to a boil. Allow to boil 10 or 15 seconds, whisking constantly.
• Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and butter. Scrape the pastry cream into a non-reactive bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Stir in liqueur just before using pastry cream. For the glaze: In a small saucepan bring the preserves and water or liqueur to a simmer, stirring often. Strain into another pan and return to a boil. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. NOTE: If tart is mostly red fruit, use currant jelly and strawberry or raspberry preserves.

FREEFORM APPLE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the apple slices, brown sugar and cinnamon and cook over medium heat until the apples begin to caramelize or begin to get glazed with the sugar and butter.
• Roll out the puff pastry in a freeform shape. Roll in the outer edge about a half inch to form a crust. Spread the warm apples on top of the pastry. Brush the crust with the lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden.

MAIDA HEATTER'S FREE-FORM APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
• Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add water and toss with a fork until pastry holds together.
• Shape pastry into a ball and flatten into a disk.
• Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Melt butter in a 12" skillet over medium heat.
• Increase heat to high and add sugar and brandy.
• Stir in apples and cover and cook 3 minutes, stirring apples twice.
• Uncover and add raisins and cook apples, stirring until tender and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes more.
• Cool apples completely.
• Stir in nuts.
• Heat oven to 425.
• Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 14 inch circle.
• Transfer pastry to a large cookie sheet.
• Arrange apples on pastry, leaving a 2 to 2 1/2 inch border around the edge.
• Fold edge of pastry over apples.
• The pie shell should be about 9 inches in diameter.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 400 and bake 30 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
• Melt preserves through a sieve into a cup.
• Drizzle over filling.
• Cool on cookie sheet.
• Transfer to serving platter when cool.

FREE-FORM HARVEST APPLE TART

Steps:

• Place flour, butter nad jalf of the cream cheese in food processor; cover. Process, using pulsing action untl mixture is well blended and almost forms a ball. Shjape dough into ball; wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled.
• Preheat oven to 400°F Place pastry on lightly floured surface; roll out to 14x8-inch rectangle. Place on parchment paper-covered baking sheet; set aside. Mix remaining cream cheese and half of the dry gelatin mix until well blended. Spread onto pastry to within 2-inches of edge.
• Toss apples with the remaining dry gelatin mix, the cornstarch and cinnamon. Spoon evenly over cream cheese filling. Fold edge of pastry over apples toward center of tart. (Apples in center of tart will remain exposed) Sprinkle top with almonds. Bake in lower third of oven, 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool. Store leftover tart in refrigerator.

FREE-FORM HARVEST APPLE TART RECIPE

Steps:

• Use pulsing action to process flour, butter and half the cream cheese in food processor until mixture is blended and dough starts to pull away from side of container. Shape into ball; wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 14x8-inch rectangle. Place on parchment-covered baking sheet; set aside.
• Place remaining cream cheese in medium microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 10 sec. or just until softened. Add half the dry gelatin mix; stir until blended. Spread onto dough to within 2 inches of edges.
• Toss apples with cornstarch, cinnamon and remaining dry gelatin mix; spoon over cream cheese mixture. Fold edges of pastry over apples. (Apples in center of tart will remain exposed.) Sprinkle with nuts.
• Bake 35 min. or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool.

FREE-FORM FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Make the basic tart dough using buttermilk instead of the chilled water.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• After the dough is chilled, place it on a nonstick cookie sheet and roll it into a circle about 14 inches in diameter.
• Arrange the nectarines in the center of the dough and mound the berries on top of the nectarine slices. Scatter the chunks of butter over the fruit and sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over it all.
• Fold up the edges of the dough to make a packet, with the fruit in the center partly exposed. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the dough and bake the tart until the crust is golden and the fruit is soft, about 40 minutes.

LOW-SUGAR APPLE TART RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a food processor, blend the oats into a coarse powder.
• Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until nutty brown in color, 5-6 minutes. Once the butter has browned, add the ground oats, flour, salt, and water, and mix to combine. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the crust mixture to a 9-inch (20 cm) tart pan, spreading evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
• Make the filling: Place the apples in a large microwave-safe bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over, then toss to coat. Microwave for 4 minutes. Cover with a plate and let steam for 5 minutes.
• Season the apples with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and toss to coat.
• Spread the applesauce over the bottom of the crust.
• Starting from the outside and working inward, arrange the apples in the pan in a circular pattern with the curved side up. Begin with the larger slices, overlapping slightly, and continue until the entire crust is filled. Brush the apples with the melted butter.
• Bake for 1 hour, checking occasionally. If the edges are browning too quickly, cover gently with foil to prevent further browning as the tart cooks through.
• If using, microwave the apricot jam for 20-30 seconds to melt. Use a pastry brush to paint the apricot jam over the warm tart for a nice, shiny finish.
• Let the tart cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
• Enjoy!