Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

butterscotch

Talking Tarts on Charlotte Talks

 

Listen to Tarts and Pastries

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of talking tarts and Tart Love with Mike Collins and his team at Charlotte Talks, WFAE 90.7 FM in Charlotte, NC.

On the menu, all things delicious! We cover tart fillings, perfecting pastry, savory, sweet, and even sample some tarts brought in from a talentedJohnson & Wales pastry chef.

Feel free to hear the show anew by clicking on the link to the podcast listed above or download it on iTunes. To find out more about Charlotte Talks, visit www.wfae.org.

This Butterscotch Pudding & Apple Tart is one of the tarts discussed. Photo by Helene Dujardin.

 

 

 

 

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A Crunchy, Creamy Slice of Apple Love

Touring last Saturday’s farmers’ markets with visiting friends on a crisp, cool, picture-perfect morning was a pure, indulgent delight.  As if that wasn’t perfect enough, I spied the very first apple bins of the season at Owl’s Nest booth, including the ultra-crunchy, slightly tart Winesap apples I have loved since I first discovered them about six years ago. I literally squealed and did a little happy dance, I was so surprised to see them.

The fact is, I love fall’s cool days and nights and apples are one of the best ways to celebrate the season. Tart Granny Smith apples play with a cool, silky butterscotch pudding in this tart, which is drizzled with warm caramel to top it all off.  The pudding and caramel require careful attention, but the end taste-results are well worth it.

Adapted from Tart Love, Sassy, Savory and Sweet (Gibbs Smith, October 2011) by Holly Herrick.

Butterscotch and Caramel Apple Tarts

(Makes 2 tarts, approximately 10 servings)

Super-silky and delicate butterscotch (a beloved southern dish) forms the first layer of this delightful tart. It’s topped with see-through-thin slices of skin-on Granny Smith apples, which provide a protective layer for the hot caramel that tops it all off.

A decadent ode to autumn, this tart is surprisingly simple to make.

(Photo by Helene Dujardin)

Take extra care with the caramel. It’s not difficult to make, but it gets dangerously hot once the sugar turns to caramel and can do serious damage to exposed skin. The pudding, caramel, and pastry shells can be made a full day ahead and the tarts can be assembled up to 3 – 4 hours before serving.  Make sure it’s nice and cool when you serve it.

Equipment Needed: Two 13 X 4 X 1-inch rectangular tart pans

Master Sweet Pastry Recipe

2 1/4 cups White Lily all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

Generous pinch sea salt or kosher salt

2 sticks (1 cup) AA grade unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

About 3 tablespoons ice-cold water, or just enough to hold the pastry together

For the butterscotch pudding:

2 3/4 cup whole milk, divided

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon molasses

For the caramel:

1 1/2 cups sugar

9 tablespoons cold butter (1 stick plus 1 tablespooon), cut into cmall cubes

3/4 cup whipping cream

1 – 2 large Granny Smith apples, halved, cored, and sliced very thinly, for garnish

 

1 egg wash (yolk, splash water, pinch salt blended together)

Prepare the Master Sweet Pastry recipe.  In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a plastic blade, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt until blended. Add the cold butter and pulse, 40 – 50 times until the butter has broken down into small bits, about the size of tiny peas. Through the mouth of the food processor, gradually incorporate the ice water, until the pastry begins to form a very loose, slightly messy ball in the processor. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a disc, about 2″ high. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or overnight. When you’re ready to roll and bake, preheat the oven to 375F. Roll out the pastry into a large square, and cut into 2 rectangles. Line each pan with the pastry, leaving a slightly elevated border. Refrigerate for twenty minutes. Line the pans with parchment paper filled with dried legumes or pie weights. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, and brush down the bottom, sides and tops of the tart shells with the pastry wash. Bake another 20 minutes or so, until the crust is completely baked and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. (Note: This can be done a day ahead. Keep the tart shells in an airtight container once cooled.)

Prepare the pudding. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup milk, brown sugar, salt, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until frothy and well blended. Meanwhile, bring the remaining milk up to a boil in a heavy-bottomed, deep saucepan over medium-high heat, watching closely to avoid scalding or spills. As soon as it just bubbles to a boil, gradually stream the warm milk into the mixture in the bowl. Whisk in until well incorporated. Return the mixture to the same pan and place over medium heat. Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes, until the pudding starts to set. It should be smooth and firm with a pliable consistency. Remove the pans from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla, and molasses. Taste and adjust seasoning (especially salt) if desired. Transfer the pudding into a clean medium bowl and refrigerate until fully cold or overnight. Cover with plastic wrap pressed to the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming.

Meanwhile, prepare the caramel. Place the sugar in a medium-size heavy-bottomed pan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, gently stirring the sugar to help it melt and start to caramelize. Once the sugar has completely melted, stop stirring. It will caramelize very quickly, bubbling up a bit in the pan (be careful!). Once it has turned a luscious caramel color, remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until it is melted. Very gradually whisk in the cream. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, either us it to assemble the tart or refrigerate it in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.

To assemble the tarts, place equal quantities of the cooled pudding in the bottom of the two cooled pastry chells. Using a spatula, even out the pudding so it fully fills the tart shells and is flat and smooth. Slice the apples, then quickly arrange them along the top of the tarts in two rows, forming a kind of layered apple “spine” down the center of each tart. Top with a generous amount of caramel (about 3/4 cup for each tart), brushing with a pastry brush to evenly disperse and to cover the pudding and the apples. Chill the tarts for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Slice and serve on a plate drizzled with extra caramel sauce!

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Bon appetit! Tart Love, Sassy, Savory and Sweet is available in bookstores and online now.

 

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