Apple and Calvados Tart

Galette de Pommes au Calvados – Apple and Calvados Tart. I’ve never made a rustic tart like this before. This tart is so good that I think I’d have to look far and wide to find one to equal it. 

The crust was so flaky that if I didn’t know better I would have thought it was puff pastry, yeah it really surprised me. I don’t have anything to compare this to since this is the first one I’ve made but….WOW!! I’m really impressed with this recipe. The original recipe from Epicurious has Calvados in it, I don’t even know what that is, it’s obviously something I ‘d get at the state store but other than that, I have no clue. So needless to say it’s not in my tart! Although the people that did use it gave this wonderful reviews. Other than the Calvados, I followed the recipe to the letter. Lets get started and make this wonderful tart!

We start this tart by making applesauce, this was a first for me. I made this first so it could cool. It was very easy, just a matter of putting the 1 lb of chopped apples , water ,sugar , lemon zest and cinnamon in a saucepan.

That’s all the ingredients in the saucepan, you’ll notice there’s not a lot of water in the pan, only 1/2 cup, you bring this to a boil, then cover the pan and let it simmer for fifteen minutes, then take the lid off and simmer till most of the liquid is gone.

Us a fork or a potato masher and mash the apples up a little bit. Now you have applesauce. Let it cool.

I made the dough in my food processor. I cut the butter up into small pieces and put it back into the refrigerator until I got the dry ingredients together and into the food processor. I also had my cold water ready before I started, putting ice cubes in the water to make sure it was super cold. With the flour in the processor , I added the butter. I coated the butter with flour first and then processed with short 1 second pulses ( probably 5) until the butter was cut into the flour. Then I added 9 tbls of cold water evenly around the flour and processed again for about 5 , one second pulses, I took the lid off to see if it would hold together into a ball in my hand. It didn’t so I added 1 more tbls of water. It was perfect with that extra tbls. The dough came out of the processor and onto the counter where I divided it into 8 parts. I flatten each section of dough with the heel of my hand to distribute the butter then laid them on top of each other and formed 1 disk that was wrapped in plastic and put into the refrigerator for an hour. The dough was very easy to work with, I took it out of the fridge , let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes and then started rolling.

I placed parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and transferred the dough onto it. I folded the ends of the dough over onto it’s self and refrigerated for 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes I unfolded the ends and spread the applesauce onto the dough leaving 2 inches all the way around the dough. I sliced about 3/4 lb of apples, enough to mound onto the tart. I mixed 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 tbls of lemon juice onto the sliced apples and mixed. Then added them on top of the applesauce. I placed the ends of the dough around the apples, making folds where needed and sliced 3 tbls of butter to place on top of the apples.

I brushed the dough with a water dampened pastry brush and then sprinkled sugar around it.

After the tart was out of the oven I melted 1 1/2 tbls of apple jelly and brushed it on top of the tart. This was absolutely worth every second of time it took me to make this. I was truly delighted with every bite of flaky crust and apples.

Apple and Calvados Tart
Epicurious

Ingredients:

1 3/4 lb Gala apples
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons apple jelly
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Calvados ( I did not use )

Preparation

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a rough 16-inch round (1/8 inch thick), then transfer carefully to parchment-lined large baking sheet. Loosely fold in edge of pastry where necessary to fit on baking sheet, then chill, covered loosely with plastic wrap, 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

While pastry is chilling, peel and core apples, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Toss slices with lemon juice and 1/3 cup granulated sugar.

Put baking sheet with pastry on a work surface and unfold any edges so pastry is flat. Spread applesauce over pastry, leaving a 2-inch border, and top sauce with sliced apples, mounding slightly. Fold edges of dough over filling, partially covering apples (center will not be covered) and pleating dough as necessary. Dot apples with butter, then brush pastry edge lightly with water and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar. Bake galette in middle of oven until pastry is golden and apples are tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

While galette is baking, melt apple jelly in a very small saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring.

Slide baked galette on parchment onto a rack, then brush with melted jelly and cool galette until warm or room temperature.

Beat together cream and confectioners sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until cream just holds soft peaks, then beat in Calvados. Serve galette topped with dollops of Calvados cream.

All Butter Crust Dough
Epicurious

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (not unbleached)
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
9 to 12 tablespoons ice water
Special equipment: a pastry or bench scraper

Preparation:

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 9 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)

Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 6-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Calvados Applesauce
Epicurious

Ingredients:

1 lb Gala apples
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Calvados ( I did not use)

Preparation:

Peel and core apples, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Bring apples, water, sugar, zest, and cinnamon to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
Remove lid and simmer until most of liquid is evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes. Add Calvados and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Mash apples with a potato masher or a fork to a coarse sauce, then cool.