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# Almond Cream and Caramelized Apple Tart

A shortcrust tart with apples caramelized in butter and vanilla under a layer of almond cream, which I like to serve with vanilla ice cream.

## What you need

### Crust

- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (2 cups + 3 tbsp)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (3/4 cup)
- 7 oz cold butter (cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes)
- 1 cold large egg (beaten)

### Almond cream

- ½ cup powdered sugar (1/2 cup)
- 5 tbsp butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup almond flour (3/4 cup)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (1 heaping tbsp)
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 1 tbsp rum, amaretto or heavy cream

### Apples

- 5–6 Granny Smith apples (peeled and cut into small cubes)
- 6 tbsp sugar (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp)
- 3½ tbsp butter
- ½ vanilla bean (split lengthwise, or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 2 tsp lemon juice

### Topping

- ⅓ cup sliced blanched almonds (1/3 cup)

## How I make it

### Crust

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar and butter cubes a few times, until crumbly.
2. Add the egg and process until the crumbs come together into a ball. If the dough is too dry, add a teaspoon of cold water and keep processing.
3. Gather the dough and flatten it into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour.

### Almond cream

1. Mix the butter and powdered sugar well.
2. Add the almond flour and cornstarch and mix thoroughly.
3. Add the egg and the rum and mix into a smooth cream, soft but not runny. Keep in the fridge until needed.

### Apples

1. Put all the ingredients except the apples in a large skillet and cook until the butter melts.
2. Add the apples and cook for about 20 minutes, until soft but still holding their shape.
3. When the vanilla bean softens, scrape out the seeds into the apples and remove the pod.
4. Remove from the heat, drain the apples of their liquid and let cool.

### Lining the pan

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 1/4-inch (1/2 cm) thick circle, large enough to cover the sides of the pan too.
2. Transfer to a 10-inch (26 cm) pie pan and press it into the bottom and sides.
3. Trim the excess dough around the rim with a rolling pin or a knife.
4. Prick the bottom gently a few times with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.

### Assembling and baking

1. Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C).
2. Spread the apples over the whole crust and pour the almond cream over them.
3. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds and bake for about 50 minutes, until golden.

## What I've learned

- In the crust I sometimes swap 50 g of the flour for the same weight of almond flour.
- A little grated lemon zest in the crust works well.
- If the dough is still cold when it comes out of the processor, I skip the first chill and roll it straight into the pan.
- In the almond cream, the rum or amaretto can be swapped for heavy cream, milk or sour cream.
- The almond cream should be soft but not runny. If needed, I add another teaspoon of liquid.
- Each part can be made ahead and kept in the fridge, then assembled and baked.
- I serve it with vanilla ice cream.

Source: https://chefef.com/en-us/recipes/almond-cream-and-caramelized-apple-tart/