Russian Open Apple Tart Recipes

FRENCH APPLE TART

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
• Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

GERMAN APPLE PIE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in the shortening until crumbly. Add vanilla. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Roll out pastry to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of pie plate; flute edges., For filling, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon; sprinkle 3 tablespoons into crust. Layer with half of the apples; sprinkle with half of the remaining sugar mixture. Repeat layers. Pour cream over all. , Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° bake for 55-60 minutes or until apples are tender. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

RUSSIAN OPEN APPLE TART

Steps:

• for the Sour Cream Pastry: sift together into mixing bowl 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in 1/3 cup lard until particles are fine. Add about 3 Tablespoon dairy sour cream and toss with fork to mix well. Shape into a ball. Roll out pastry and line a 9 inch piepan, forming a high fluted edge.Overlap apple slices around sides of pan. Fill center with a layer of apple slices, then another layer in rows packed tightly together. Mix cinnamon and sugars; sprinkle over apples. Dot with butter and sprinkle with lemon juice. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 1/4 hours, or until apples are tender. Place on a rack to cool partially. Cut into wedges and serve warm topped with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkling of walnuts

OPEN-FACED RUSTIC APPLE TART

Steps:

• To make the crust: Combine 2 cups of the flour with the salt and confectioners' sugar in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to blend. Add the butter, and pulse about 20 times, or until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the egg, pulse to blend, and add enough of the water (a little at a time, pulsing between each addition) for the crust to stay together when you squeeze a handful of dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To make the filling: Mix the apple slices with the lemon juice, and set aside. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup flour with the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add half of the flour-sugar mixture to the apples, and stir gently to combine ingredients. Roll the dough out into a large 1/4-inch-thick round. Sprinkle the remaining half of the flour-sugar mixture over all except the outside 2 inches of the dough. Place the apple slices over the flour-sugar mixture in concentric circles, overlapping the slices and leaving about 2 inches of empty crust around the edge of the apples. Using your hands, fold the edge of the crust over the apples, overlapping the folds slightly and pressing the crust together with your hands where the crust overlaps. Place the remaining tablespoon of butter cubes over the top of the uncovered apples. Bake the tart for 35 to 45 minutes, until crust and apples are light golden brown and the apples are somewhat tender. Before serving, dust the tart with confectioners' sugar.

APPLE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel, core, and slice about 1/4 inch thick: 3 pounds apples (Sierra Beauty, Pippin, Granny Smith are good choices).
• Roll out into a 14-inch circle: One 10-ounce disk of Tart and Pie Dough (page 174).
• Brush off any excess flour and transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let it firm up in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so. Take it out of the refrigerator and lay apple slices end to end in a circle around the circumference, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Arrange the remaining apple slices within this circle in tight overlapping concentric circles. The apples should be about 1 1/2 layers thick. Fold the dough border over the apples. Melt: 3 tablespoons butter.
• Brush the folded dough border generously with butter and then pat the tops of the apples with the rest. Sprinkle the crust with: 2 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle the apples with: 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the crust is golden brown on the bottom. Slide off the pan and cool on a rack.
• Substitute sliced poached quinces (see page 190) for about half of the apple slices.
• Cook 2 of the peeled, cored, and sliced apples in a saucepan with a splash of water until tender. Purée the apples and spread the cooled purée on the pastry (leaving a 1 1/2-inch-wide border). Top with apple slices as above.
• Spread the pastry with a few tablespoons of apricot jam before you put on the apples and use warm jam to glaze the tart after baking.
• Make a glaze by reducing 1 cup apple juice until thick and syrupy. Flavor with Cognac and lemon juice to taste, and brush over the tart before serving.
• For me, tarts are all about the fruit. Try to squeeze as much fruit as possible onto the dough, leaving a small border to fold up for the edge.
• Try any of these variations with the apple tart recipe that follows.